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Majuro poll watcher Russell Langrine (left) was doing minute-by-minute updates on Nitijela results on his laptop at the ICC counting HQ most of last week. Ailuk poll watcher Sandy Alfred dropped by Friday to check out Russell’s results. See story, page 19. Photo: Suzanne Chutaro
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Two commissioners from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) will review the College of the Marshall Islands next week in what could be a lead up to the college getting off probation when the full WASC commission meets in January.
Bruce: 'ROC is a true friend of RMI
If the Aelon Kein Ad party takes power in the Marshall Islands, according to Iroij Imata Kabua, it will recognize the People’s Republic of China, putting the country’s nine-year diplomatic relationship with the Republic of China (Taiwan) at serious risk. Responding to this possibility, the ROC Ambassador to RMI, Bruce Linghu, told the Journal this week that “of course this kind of news may sabotage our relationship with RMI, and this is of grave concern to us.”
RMI pulls postals from Majuro PO
Many candidates expressed concern over the handling of postal absentee ballots by the Electoral Administration and the RMI Post Office. These complaints led to Chief Electoral Officer Carl Alik telling the Journal Tuesday evening that on Wednesday this week all postal ballots that have arrived to date will be collected from the PO and taken to the International Conference Center (ICC) tabulation center where they will be locked up and put under police guard.
MALGov in receivership
The High Court has ordered the appointment of a receiver to solve Majuro Atoll Local Government’s debt to the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration.
The Aelon Kein Ad (AKA) party has clearly beaten the United Democratic Party at the polls, but whether it has an absolute majority of 17 needed to form a government will not be clear until after the postal absentee ballots are counted starting on Tuesday next week. By the Journal’s count, there are 15 AKA-aligned senators who have substantial enough leads to have won their seats, while only 12 UDP incumbents have retained their seats.
But two AKA candidates — including the former long-time foreign minister Phillip Muller, who has been out of office for eight years — are close to knocking off UDP incumbents, and if they’re successful will boost the AKA to a majority position in the Nitijela when it convenes the first week of January. The UDP previously had a 20-seat majority in the 33-seat Nitijela. What appears certain is that however the results shakedown for the January formation of a new government, President Kessai Note will not be returning for a third term in office.
A test of transmission power recently from Rita showed that the signal could be picked up in Laura, Rongrong and islands in Arno that face Majuro, Muller said. It will be a digital wireless service in which customers will need to have an antenna and a decoder box, which NTA will provide for a $19.95 installation fee, he said.
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