Journal 1/11/1972
P1 Kabua suspicious of ‘fish study’ motive Congress of Micronesia President Amata Kabua has expressed reservations about a proposed US National Fisheries Services plan to dispatch a large Hawaiian-style tuna fishing boat to the Marshall Islands. According to Kabua, no consultation was made with the people of the Marshalls. “Apparently a Hawaiian fishing boat will be doing here in their off season to catch and bring fish to American Samoa for canning. How this will benefit the people of the Marshalls is beyond me,” said Kabua.
P7 Christmas drop in Marshalls “Christmas drop” became “holiday drop” for the people of Ujelang and Kili in the Marshall Islands this week. For the first time in the history of the program, the military extended its range to include two islands in the Marshalls as a result of cooperation of the US Air Force, Navy and Army.
Journal 1/11/1991
Says it best We were talking with President Kabua recently about the Trusteeship termination. That led to discussion about changes int he Soviet Union and worries that the old-style, authoritarian rule was returning too that country after five years of Gorbachev’s ‘glasnost’ (openness). President Kabua, in a comment that is as poignant for the Marshalls as the Soviets it was directed to, said: “Once people have tasted democracy, they will never go back.”
P11 Youth accomplish major replanting on Mili Young men involved in the Social Services-sponsored National Youth Development Corps were recognized by local government officials at a ceremony on Mili Atoll late last year following completion of a two month work project where they planed some 20,000 seeds for fruit trees.
Journal 1/14/2000
P3 The shoe is on the other foot Resumption of Nitijela after formation of a new government under newly-installed President Kessai Note has proved a stimulating and entertaining development: the glory boys are back in force (albeit, somewhat diminished), and question period looks filled with promise to be attempted murder of incumbent political lives by attacking Chechnyan-style terrorists waving the flag of Kwajalein independence. Former President Imata Kabua led the assault on Nitijela Tuesday with a check kiting scheme that filled the chamber with theatrical moment. He abruptly asked to be excused by Speaker Tomeing just as President Note was given the floor to make a comment. “I gotta go to the bank,” he said. Later he returned to the chamber waving the flag and remarked that there was no money in the account. “That’s one of the reasons we are so bent on getting an interim budget passed here today,” he was told. That seems to make sense to most of the gathered legislators who joined in a 20-6 vote to accept a suspension of the rule and pass the new budget 1, 2, 3. Not surprisingly, Senator Kabua’s supporters, remnants mostly of the former Cabinet, block voted to block the budget.
P14 In the South Pacific Canoe captains Tiem Clement, Namneo Joel and Morton Jikit were with their canoes in Gisborne Bay in New Zealand late last month where they joined a fleet of island canoes to welcome the first sunrise of the new millennium.
P21 ‘Discipline and transparency in all government sectors’ President Kessai Note was formally sworn in at Nitijela Monday and promised that his government will be “credible and accountable” to the people. He said “full recognition of the independence of the judiciary,” strong support for the private sector, cooperation with the media to increase transparency in government operations, and continuing public sector reforms will be among the goals of his new administration.