Editing Politics of Palau

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{More citations needed|date=August 2016}}
{{Politics of Palau}}
The '''politics of Palau''' take place in a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] [[republic]], whereby the [[President of Palau]] is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]]. Palau currently has no political parties and is a ''de facto'' [[non-partisan democracy]] although there is no law preventing the formation of political parties.

[[Executive power]] is exercised by the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the [[government]] and the [[Palau National Congress]]. The [[judiciary of Palau]] is independent of the executive and the legislature.

== History ==
Palau adopted a [[Constitution of Palau|constitution]] on January 1, 1981.<ref>''Patterson, Carolyn Bennett, et al. "At the Birth of Nations: In the Far Pacific." National Geographic Magazine, October 1986 page 493. National Geographic Virtual Library, Accessed 17 May 2018.'' "The westernmost among the emerging nations of the Pacific, the Republic of Palau (or Belau), population more than 15,000, is divided into 16 separate states, each with its own [[List of current state governors in Palau|governor]], lieutenant governor, and legislature.  Most state populations are very small, and one wonders if anyone has time for anything but government, American style and democratic though it may be.
An example is [[Peleliu]], the tragic island where more than 13,000 Americans and Japanese died during [[Battle of Peleliu|less than three months of fighting]], often hand to hand, in the autumn of 1944.  Pat and I went to Peleliu from [[Koror]], the republic's capital, by speedboat, a wave-tossing, rear-slapping 45&nbsp;minutes, and arrived to discover it was election day, with five candidates running for governor.  Although Peleliu claims a population of 2,000 people, only 400 actually live there.  More registered voters live in Koror than on their home island, and 800 send votes from [[Guam]].  The situation is similar in Palau's other states.
A current joke puts a laugh in the truth.  A man walks into a bar in Koror and calls out, "Hey, Governor!"  And half the men in the place stand up.
But that's only the state story.  The national government is headed by President [[Lazarus Salii]], followed by a [[Vice President of Palau|vice president]], a cabinet responsible for five ministries, a [[judiciary of Palau|judiciary]], and a legislature with a 16-member [[House of Delegates of Palau|house]] and a 14-member [[Senate of Palau|senate]].
Then there's the hereditary leadership.  Each village has ten chiefs, ranked in importance.  And, dividing the island group, there are two [[paramount chiefs]].  Never, I thought, have so few been governed by so many."</ref> There were disagreements between the United States and Palau over the constitution.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Shuster |first=Donald R. |date=2009 |title=The Republic of Palau and its Compact, 1995–2009 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25701188 |journal=The Journal of Pacific History |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=325–332 |issn=0022-3344}}</ref>

Palau witnessed several instances of political violence in the 1980s. The republic's first president, [[Haruo Remeliik|Haruo I. Remeliik]], was assassinated in 1985; the Minister of State{{who|date=June 2018}} <!-- possibly [[Roman Tmetuchl]] or John O. Ngiraked -->was found to be complicit in the crime. Palau's third president, [[Lazarus Salii]], committed suicide in August 1988 amid 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.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

Palau gained [[independence]] from the [[United Nations]] trusteeship administered by the [[United States]] on 1 October 1994 and entered a [[Compact of Free Association]] with the United States.<ref name=":0" />

The Senate passed legislation making Palau an "offshore" financial center in 1998. Opponents to the legislation voiced fears that the country would become a haven for [[money laundering|money launderers]] and other sorts of criminal activity. In December 1999, a group of major international banks banned U.S. dollar-denominated transactions involving Palau and the other Pacific island states of [[Vanuatu]] and [[Nauru]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Field|first1=Michael|title=World Banks Isolate Three Pacific Countries: Nauru, Palau and Vanuatu Accused of Money Laundering|url=http://archives.pireport.org/archive/1999/december/12-21-up1.htm|access-date=February 1, 2016|work=Pacific Islands Report|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=December 21, 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051740/http://archives.pireport.org/archive/1999/december/12-21-up1.htm|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Executive branch==
[[File:Ministry of state, Palau.jpg|thumb|Headquarters of the Ministry of State]]
Presidential elections take place every four years, when the president and vice president run on separate tickets. The [[President of Palau|president]], who is the [[head of state]] and [[head of government]], is currently [[Surangel Whipps Jr.]]

=== Cabinet ===
The President is advised and assisted in governing by his/her Cabinet, composed of the Vice President and ministers responsible for the eight government ministries. The ministries include [[Ministry of Finance (Palau)|Ministry of Finance]], [[Ministry of Justice (Palau)|Ministry of Justice]] and [[Ministry of Education (Palau)|Ministry of Education]].

{| class="wikitable"
|+Current Cabinet of Palau
!Ministry
!Minister
!Duties
!Child Agencies
!
|-
|Vice President
|[[Uduch Sengebau Senior]]
|
|National Emergency Management Office (NEMO)
|
|-
|Education
|Dr. Dale Jenkins
|responsible for managing, operating and promoting public elementary and secondary schools systems and developing and implementing educational curricula and standards at every educational level
|Bureaus of: Education Administration, Curriculum and Instruction
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/education/|title=Ministry of Education – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>
|-
|Finance
|[[Kaleb Udui Jr.]]
|"ensures accountability, continuous productivity of government services, and economic growth by promoting policies for, and sound management of, expenditures, revenues, financing and human resources"
|Bureaus of: Budget & Planning, National Treasury, Public Service System, Revenue and Taxation, Customs and Border Protection
Information Systems Support Services
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/finance/|title=Ministry of Finance – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>
|-
|Health & Human Services
|Gaafar Ucherbelau
|"take positive actions to attain healthful environment, promote health and social welfare, protect family and health safety, and provide health care services"
|Bureaus of: Public Health; Hospital & Clinical Services
Offices of : Health Administration & Support Services; Health Policy, Research, & Development

Medical Referral Program

Hospital Trust Fund
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/health/|title=Ministry of Health – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>
|-
|Justice
|Uduch Sengebau-Senior
|
|Office of the Attorney General
Bureaus of: Immigration and Labor, Public Safety

Divisions of: Criminal Investigation/Drug Enforcement, Patrol, Fire & Rescue, Corrections, Marine Law Enforcement, Fish & Wildlife Protection
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/justice/|title=Ministry of Justice – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>
|-
|Natural Resources, Environment, and Tourism
|Steven Victor
|"promoting, exploring, exploiting, developing, protecting, and managing the natural resources, in areas of marine and fisheries, agriculture, aqauculture, forests, mineral and other land-based and ocean-based resources as well as tourism”
|Bureaus of: Agriculture, Marine Resources, Tourism
Protected Areas Network
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/natural-resources/|title=Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment & Tourism – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>
|-
|Public Infrastructure, Industries, and Commerce
|Charles Obichang
|
|Bureaus of: Aviation, Public Works, Land and Survey, Commercial Development
Small Business Development Center

Palau Energy Office
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/public-infrastructure/|title=Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries & Commerce – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>
|-
|State
|Gustav Aitaro
|
|Bureaus of: International Trade & Technical Assistance, Domestic Affairs, Foreign Affairs
Offices of: Administration, Protocol, the Public Defender, Passport

EPFM Live Broadcast

Embassies and Consulates
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/executive-branch/ministries/state/|title=Ministry of State – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>
|}

== Legislature ==
[[File:Capitol, Melekeok, Palau.jpg|thumb|Olbiil era Kelulau building in the capitol complex]]
The [[Palau National Congress]] (''Olbiil era Kelulau'') is a [[bicameralism|bicameral]] [[legislature]] consisting of the [[House of Delegates of Palau|House of Delegates]] and the [[Senate of Palau]], which both sit at the Capitol Complex in [[Ngerulmud]], [[Melekeok|Melekeok State]].

* The House of Delegates has 16 members, each serving four-year terms from single-seat [[constituency|constituencies]].
* The Senate has 13 members, also serving four-year terms in multi-seat constituencies.

In the last elections, held on 1 November 2016, only non-partisans were elected; no [[political parties]] exist.

==Elections==
{{Main|Elections in Palau}}
{{See also|List of political parties in Palau}}

== Judiciary ==
{{Main|Judiciary of Palau}}
[[File:Palau Capitol Complex, Judiciary Building.JPG|thumb|Judiciary building in the capitol complex]]
The [[judiciary of Palau]] interprets and applies the laws of Palau, as modified by custom and tradition, to ensure [[equal justice under law]], and to provide a mechanism for [[dispute resolution]]. The judiciary comprises a four-member [[Supreme Court of Palau|Supreme Court]], a [[Palau Court of Common Pleas|Court of Common Pleas]], and a Land Court.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.palausupremecourt.net/organization.cshtml |title=Organization |publisher=Judiciary of Palau |access-date=9 March 2020}}</ref> The Supreme Court has a trial division and an appellate division and is presided over by the [[Chief Justice of Palau|Chief Justice]], assisted by three [[Associate Justice]]s and a number of ''ad hoc'' part-time Associate Justices.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.palausupremecourt.net/organization-1.cshtml?PK=AJ |title=Associate Justices |publisher=Judiciary of Palau |access-date=9 March 2020}}</ref>

== Council of Chiefs ==
{{main|Traditional chiefs of Palau}}

== Agencies ==
The executive branch also has some independent agencies, including the Environmental Quality Protection Board, created in 1981 and tasked with protecting the "unique and aesthetically beautiful environment while promoting sustainable economic and social development".

=== COFA Trust Fund Board ===
To manage the funds appropriate to Palau from the United States through the Compact of Free Association (COFA), the COFA Trust Fund Board was reestablished in 2014. The Board meets monthly to review the trust fund's performance and meets annually with the investment advisor (currently [[Raymond James Financial|Raymond James & Associates]]' Asia-Pacific Group, based in [[Guam]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.palaugov.pw/cofa|title=COFA Trust Fund Board – PalauGov.pw|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref>

== Further reading ==

* Useem, John (1950). "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/2571662 Structure of Power in Palau]". ''Social Forces''. '''29''' (2): 141–148.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Oceania in topic|Politics of}}
{{Palau topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Palau}}
[[Category:Politics of Palau| ]]