KPress Vol. 07 Iss. 16
Jaynes, Bill (2007-07-11). KPress Vol. 07 Iss. 16 (PDF) (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Kaselehlie Press.
- Has attachment: File:JN4Q6WGQ.pdf
Abstract: KPress Vol. 07 Iss. 16: NEWS: The Kosrae Chamber of Commerce arms voters to the teeth as candidates clamor to have their views heard at candidate forums; ten months earlier, the Kosrae Chamber of Commerce began work on a project that ultimately provided Kosrae voters with some of the most issue-based candidate information in the state’s history, equipping voters to make electoral choices based on issues rather than more nebulous criteria; the gubernatorial candidate forum held in October 2006 marked the first time Kosrae’s financial difficulties were openly discussed by both voters and candidates; while running for Governor of Kosrae, Yosiwo George and other candidates participated in the Chamber’s candidate forums, with George stating that the forum provided equal opportunity for candidates to present their views and that the process was fair, describing the first-ever series of candidate forums as a good start and a useful tool for moving voters away from a “village mentality”; the forums, organized as question-and-answer speaking events sponsored by the Kosrae Chamber of Commerce, served to make constituents aware of key issues and candidates’ positions on matters important to their communities and the state; the Chamber held public forums for municipal offices, all state offices, and each congressional seat, including the recently concluded special election for the four-year seat vacated when Senator Alik Alik was named FSM Vice President; the forums were held publicly in each municipality, televised repeatedly on Telecom’s cable channel, rebroadcast on local radio, and distributed off-island via DVDs; although the forums were not mandatory, all but one municipal candidate participated, the sole absence attributed to a scheduling conflict; despite the inherent risk candidates face when answering questions publicly without advance notice, extensive groundwork by the Chamber’s more than forty members helped ensure strong candidate participation; Chamber representatives stated that the subcommittee worked extremely hard to remain impartial and fair in the questions asked, noting that they received no complaints of bias and expressing satisfaction with the strong turnout sustained over the ten-month process. OPINION / EDITORIAL: An editorial reviews the Micronesian Registration Advisors (MRA) website, noting that it provides detailed information on services offered and includes links to PDF copies of endorsement letters from government leaders and experts in corporate registration, including a letter from President Mori to Speaker Isaac V. Figir explaining that nominations were based on the Executive Reorganization Bill transmitted the previous week and requesting Congress’s patience and appreciation for the policy considerations reflected in the nominations.
