GOVERNMENT
Palau is a democratic republic with directly elected executive and legislative branches. Presidential elections take place every 4 years, at the same time as the United States' presidential election, to select the president and the vice president, who now run as a team. The Palau National Congress (Olbiil era Kelulau) has two houses. The Senate has nine members elected nationwide. The House of Delegates has 16 members, one each from Palau's 16 states. All of the legislators serve 4-year terms and are limited to three consecutive terms. Each state also elects its own governor and legislature.
The Council
of Chiefs is an advisory body to the president containing the
highest traditional chiefs from each of the 16 states. The Council
is consulted on matters concerning traditional laws and customs.
The judicial system consists of the Supreme Court--with trial and appellate divisions--the Court of Common Pleas, and the Land Court. (Palau's constitution has a provision for an additional National Court, but this is not currently active.)
In November 2008 Palauans elected a new president and vice president: Johnson Toribiong and Kerai Mariur. They will take office in mid-January 2009. The same elections brought sweeping change to the legislature and passed more than 20 amendments to the constitution.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
While calm in recent years, Palau witnessed several instances of political violence in the 1980s. The republic's first president, Haruo I. Remeliik, was assassinated in 1985, with the Minister of State eventually found to be complicit in the crime. Palau's third president, Lazurus Salii, committed suicide in September 1988 amidst bribery allegations. Salii's personal assistant had been imprisoned several months earlier after being convicted of firing shots into the home of the Speaker of the House of Delegates.
Legislation
making Palau an "offshore" financial center was passed
by the Senate in 1998. In 2001 Palau passed its first bank regulation
and anti-money laundering laws.
Principal
Government Officials
Head of State and Government--President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. (Johnson Toribiong is President-elect)
Vice President--Elias Camsek Chin (Kerai Mariur is Vice President-elect)
Ambassador to the U.S.--Hersey Kyota
Ambassador to the UN--Stuart Beck
Palau
maintains an embassy at 1150 - 18th Street NW, Suite 750, Washington,
DC 20036 (tel. 202-452-6814). The Republic of Palau's Mission
to the United Nations is located at 767 Third Ave, 34th Fl, New
York, NY 10017 (tel. 212-546-0410, fax 212-826-2858).
Government
Type: Constitutional republic in free association with
United States.
Independence (from U.S.-administered UN trusteeship):
October 1, 1994 .
Constitution: January 1, 1981.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state
and government), vice president, cabinet. Legislative--bicameral
parliament elected by popular vote. Judicial--Supreme Court, National
Court, Court of Common Pleas, and the Land Court.
Political parties: Palau Nationalist Party, Ta
Belau Party.
