The
March 29 - April 11, 2023
1
Kaselehlie Press
The
March 29, 2023
Free bi-weekly publication
KASELEHLIE PRESS PO Box 2222 Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM 96941
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Vol. 23 Issue No. 09
www.kpress.info
FSM Supreme Court throws out criminal “quarantine” case against Pohnpei State officials By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press March 21, 2023 Palikir, Pohnpei, FSM—Today, FSM Supreme Court Associate Justice Larry Wentworth issued a ruling dismissing all criminal charges (CC 2022-502) against Pohnpei State employees, including Christina Elnei, who at the time of the alleged actions was serving as Pohnpei’s Acting Governor. All of the nowdismissed charges were associated with quarantine actions taken by the officials after a repatriation flight arrived from Guam on June 12, 2022. (See Kaselehlie Press coverage of initial arrests in the June 22, 2022 issue).
the FSM National Government filed the criminal charges against Norleen Oliver Deorio, who managed Pohnpei’s COVID-19 Task Force; Patrick Carl, the Director of the Department of Public In addition to the then acting Governor, Safety; Peterson Sam, Commissioner of
Pohnpei State Radio V6AH, and Patrick “Pohnpei COVID officials were hoping Pedrus, Pohnpei’s Public Information that the June 11-12, 2022 repatriation Officer. flight would either be postponed to the June 15th flight from Guam when “This case was the result of misplaced Click here for continuation hopes”, today’s Court Ruling concluded.
Proposed FSM resolution would exercise Congressional mandate for oversight of FSM Foreign Affairs By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press March 15, 2023 FSM—On March 15, 2023, outgoing Senator Ferny S. Perman introduced a proposed resolution for Congress to consider at its upcoming special session that will begin on April 3. The introduced resolution, if passed, would make a formal “request” for President David W. Panuelo to brief Congress on all foreign affairs matters and officially “ask” him not to make any changes to the FSM’s diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China at this time.
One of the many roles of the FSM Congress is to serve as a check and balance to the Executive Branch’s actions. Its Foreign Affairs Standing Committee, chaired by Senator Paliknoa Welly of Kosrae, has an oversight function that helps keep the Executive Branch from taking unilateral actions in that regard. If passed, the resolution, while strictly speaking would not be legally necessary in order for Congress to conduct its oversight role, would send a clear message that Congress will not roll over and let the President make changes in its diplomatic relations without first clearing it after lengthy, and thorough Congressional
analysis. The wording of the proposed of international attention and sometimes resolution makes it clear that Congress wild speculation. (See previous KPress does not currently support any changes. coverage here) The resolution was introduced five days after President Panuelo sent a letter to the FSM’s top elected representatives in National and State Governments. Though the letter was to have been a private communication, it leaked to one U.S.based journalist, who then posted it on her LinkedIn page and later wrote a news article about its contents. International news outlets picked the story up quickly, and by the end of March 11, the accusations the President had made internally regarding Chinese actions in the FSM were a matter
On May 30, President Panuelo wrote another letter to the leaders of all Pacific Island Countries (PICs), a letter that also leaked immediately. The letter warned the PICs leaders of potential nefarious intentions of China’s proposed ChinaPacific Island Countries Development Vision plan. After that letter became public, members of the FSM Congress met with the President, outraged that he had potentially damaged the relations between Click here for continuation