SYDNEY (Reuters) – The Pacific Islands nation of Palau, necessary to the U.S. army amid tensions with China, and amongst a dozen allies of Taiwan, holds a nationwide election for president on Tuesday.
President Surangel Whipps Jr is contesting the publish towards his brother-in-law, former president Tommy Remengesau, who stood at site visitors intersections on Monday immediately interesting to drivers for help.
Voters will even elect 13 members of the nationwide senate.
Palau this yr renewed a Compact of Free Affiliation with Washington, in a deal that can see it obtain $890 million in financial help over 20 years in return for permitting continued U.S. army entry to its maritime zone, air house and land.
Palau’s inhabitants of 18,000 is unfold throughout an archipelago that sits between the Philippines and the U.S. army base on Guam. The U.S. army is setting up an over-the-horizon radar on Palau, scheduled to be accomplished in 2026.
Palau is certainly one of solely 12 international locations which have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Whipps has mentioned China’s transfer to bar vacationer teams from travelling to Palau, and a cyber assault in March, are examples of strain from Beijing to modify ties.
To counter the autumn in Chinese language vacationer arrivals, Palau has opened direct flights to Japan and Australia, with help from these governments.
Tax reform has emerged as an election subject, with Remengesau’s marketing campaign arguing massive enterprise will not be paying sufficient, and pledging tax incentives for small enterprise.
The Palau Media Council, in an announcement on Saturday, mentioned it was involved by a lawsuit filed towards the Island Instances newspaper by Surangel and Sons Co, a retail and development firm owned by Whipps’ father, after the newspaper reported allegations circulated on social media concerning the firm’s tax funds.
The defamation lawsuit alleges the newspaper didn’t confirm the social media claims, which had been false, and designed to sway voters, the president’s father mentioned in a number of statements.
Whipps’ request for the U.S. to put in a everlasting Patriot missile protect has stalled, after Palau’s Senate handed a decision rejecting it.
In the course of the election marketing campaign, Remengesau mentioned that Palau must “ensure that foreign influences do not overshadow our identity or compromise our independence”.
His marketing campaign didn’t reply to questions on which international affect he was referring to.
