Saipan — I experienced my first NMI election in 1993. The voters headed to the polling centers on Nov. 6, and I, like most people on island, learned the results two days later. NMI elections were still held on a Saturday in an odd-numbered year. But now that the NMI has a U.S. congressional delegate, elections here have been “synchronized” with the rest of the U.S. Election day now falls on a Tuesday. Why are U.S. elections held on, of all days, Tuesday? Because “that’s what

Colonia, Yap — Elections in most countries bring with them a loud, boastful lead-up when candidates use first-person narratives to tell voters about their experience, accomplishments, qualifications and future plans if elected. Family photos are standard fare in ads and on billboards. Social media follow the candidates’ every move on the campaign trail. All while tearing into their opponents to knock them out of the ring. Not in Yap, where boastfulness is looked down on and

Palauan women have achieved another milestone. After more than 30 years, two women made it to the House of Delegates (HOD) and two won another term in the Senate. So, in the upcoming 10th Palau Congress, there will be four Palauan women joining this political institution which had been predominantly composed of men. In total, 13 women ran for a seat in the Palau Congress. Senators J. Uduch Sengebau Senior and Rukebai Inabo; Airai Delegate-elect Vicky Kanai and Ngarchelong Del

Koror — Palau is one among many small island states that have been and are still, to some extent, isolated and dependent on imports via air and sea. Palau is a small nation but it punches well above its weight. Its economy is very strong compared to the FSM and RMI but it is still very dependent on external sources of food, skills, fuel, raw and fabricated materials. The last 50 years has been very good to Palau. The Compact of Free association enabled Palau to recover after

Lou Leon Guerrero and Ray Tenorio sparred again on Tuesday night for the last big debate before the Nov. 6 gubernatorial race, exchanging taunts and rehashing their longstanding talking points, even repeating verbatim spiels they had made in previous forums. Recurring themes figured at the Great Debate hosted by the University of Guam. Tenorio squandered eight years in office, Leon Guerrero said. Leon Guerrero, whose family owns the Bank of Guam, has conflicts of interest, Te

Guam has the highest funeral cost in the United States Death is an occasion for grief and on Guam, it’s a social occasion for Chamorro families and clans to gather and pray the rosary for the repose of the spirit of the deceased loved one. Relatives take turns cooking for the ceremony, the mayor lends a canopy and chairs for the mourners. But in the atmosphere of grief, there is something more tangible and more uncertain hovering in the hearts of mourners. How can they pay fo