Still reeling from Sinlaku, Chuuk is mired in a political storm: Dispute over gubernatorial race drags on
- Admin
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
By Jayvee Vallejera
More than a year since Chuuk held a gubernatorial election, the Micronesian state is still embroiled in an unresolved dispute over who won in the March 2025 race.
The question will likely drag on due to a recent filing challenging a court order upholding the state leadership status quo pending further case review.
Gubernatorial challenger Mark Mailo and his running mate Joe Enlet filed a motion with the Chuuk Supreme Court on May 4, seeking an amendment to its May 1 order directing Gov. Alexander Narruhn and Lt. Gov. Mekioshy William to remain in their seats until the case is finalized.
On April 16, Mailo and Enlet attempted a takeover, taking their oaths of office during an inauguration after claiming victory.
Narruhn’s office promptly issued a press release, describing the inauguration as illegal. The governor's office argued that the Mailo and Enlet mistakenly interpreted the Chuuk State Supreme Court’s earlier decision on the authorization of certain individuals to serve as members of the Chuuk Election Commission.
In the May 4 motion, Daniel Rescue, the attorney representing Mailo and Enlet, said his clients never agreed to a portion in the May 1 order, which named Narruhn and William as the “lawful” governor and lieutenant governor of Chuuk.
Rescue argued that the particular line should not have been inserted into the court order as the election results have not been resolved. The new motion seeks the removal of this portion in the ruling.
Mailo and Enlet have a pending motion seeking the disqualification of all justices of the Chuuk State Supreme Court from hearing the case, citing potential conflicts of interest.
Acting on this motion, the court ordered that a new justice be appointed to hear and rule on Mailo and Enlet's plea. Until then, the existing leadership arrangement shall remain in place, it said.
The leadership crisis has raised concerns among Chuuk residents, who are still recovering from the impacts of Typhoon Sinlaku, which killed seven people and displaced thousands, whose homes were destroyed by the storm.
Chuuk is currently in a state of emergency due to the disaster. Many are concerned that the political instability will worsen Chuuk’s post-storm predicament.
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The political crisis has its roots in a power struggle between two election commissions: the original one and a newly created body appointed by Narruhn.
Despite unresolved concerns over ballot handling and allegations of vote tampering, Narruhn’s newly appointed election commission certified the election results and named him the winner of the March 4, 2025 election.
Mailo won a subsequent court-ordered revote, but the Narruhn administration challenged the result. This has spiraled into a drawn-out legal battle over which election commission has the authority and whether ballots were tampered with.
Narruhn was later sworn in for a new term on April 15. Before this, he declared a state of emergency in Chuuk, citing fears of political violence. On the day of his swearing in, a physical altercation in the legislature resulted in the Senate president’s son being injured.
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