KPress Vol. 19 Iss. 17

Jaynes, Bill (2019-08-05). KPress Vol. 19 Iss. 17 (PDF) (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Kaselehlie Press.

• Has attachment: File:EWDE3WAX.pdf

Abstract: KPress Vol. 19 Iss. 17: NEWS: FSM completes 2019 Joint National Inauguration events in Palikir, including interdenominational service, cultural night, formal inauguration ceremony, and ball, marking the transition to the 21st Congress and the election of President David W. Panuelo and Vice President Yosiwo P. George, with President Panuelo outlining priorities on Compact renegotiation, trust fund sustainability, fisheries revenue, infrastructure backlogs, anti-corruption enforcement, climate policy, education, and strengthened public information; Pohnpei State prosecutors charge Sihlo Andrew of Pohnrakied and Erick Joel Plais of Mapusi with multiple felony counts—including arson, burglary, conspiracy, and destruction of government records—related to fires that destroyed the Pohnpei Attorney General’s Office and Supreme Court building, with both defendants denied bail and pleading not guilty; U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert L. Wilkie visits Pohnpei for FSM inauguration events, participates in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring ten FSM citizens who died in U.S. military service, and conducts a veterans’ town hall where FSM veterans raise access-to-benefits concerns and receive limited assurances amid pending U.S. legislation; the FSM Joint Committee on Compact Review and Planning appoints Leo A. Falcam Jr., Chief of Staff to President Panuelo, as Chief Negotiator for upcoming Compact of Free Association negotiations with the United States; a U.S. Government Accountability Office report warns that FSM and RMI Compact Trust Funds are unlikely to fully replace expiring U.S. grant assistance after 2023, highlighting disbursement risks and lack of finalized distribution policies; donors including the Tan Siu Lin Foundation and Lian Cheng Overseas Fishery hand over new playground equipment at Spanish Wall Park in Kolonia, with participation by Governor Marcelo Peterson, Chinese Ambassador Huang Zheng, and local officials; SPREP-funded contractors begin removal of more than 130,000 gallons of accumulated waste oil from the Pohnpei dump site using facilities managed by FSM environmental agencies; health reporting details progress and challenges in Pohnpei’s rheumatic heart disease screening program, including screening rates, treatment gaps, and Rotary Club support; FSM announces Japan Foreign Minister Taro Kono’s upcoming visit to Pohnpei for meetings with President Panuelo and the handover of a Japanese-donated ambulance; FSM, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands secure UN approval of a joint continental shelf extension over the Ontong Java Plateau, expanding sovereign seabed resource rights; IOM and donor partners respond to Typhoon Wutip with shelter materials, water purification units, and food distributions across Pohnpei, Chuuk, and Yap; OPINION / EDITORIAL: commentary by Bill Jaynes reflects on the political and fiscal stakes of President Panuelo’s term as Compact grants sunset and trust fund performance becomes central to FSM’s economic future.