Litokwa Tomeing

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
President of the Marshall Islands
In office
14 January 2008 – 21 October 2009
Preceded byKessai Note
Succeeded byRuben Zackhras (Acting)
Speaker of the Legislature[1]
In office
2000–2007
Preceded byKessai Note
Succeeded byJurelang Zedkaia
Personal details
Born(1939-10-14)14 October 1939
Wotje Atoll, South Seas Mandate
Died12 October 2020(2020-10-12) (aged 80)
Springdale, Arkansas, U.S.
Political partyUDP (until 2007), UPP (from 2007)
SpouseArlin Tomeing
Children7

President of the Marshall Islands
from January 2008 until October 2009.

Biography

Early and personal life

Litokwa Tomeing was born on

In 1961, Tomeing graduated from PIC High School in Pohnpei.[3] He studied at the University of Hawaiʻi from 1970 until 1972 on an extension program. Tomeing and his wife, Arlin, had seven children and several grandchildren.[3]

Litokwa died on 12 October 2020, in Springdale, Arkansas, United States.

Career

Tomeing was a traditional chief.[4]

He became a

principal and teacher at Ebon Elementary School in 1961, and remained with the school until 1964.[3] He then moved to Majuro, where he taught at Rita Elementary School from 1965 until 1968.[3]

Tomeing was elected the

public office.[3] He remained in office as Mayor of Wotje from 1965 until 1969. He taught at Wotje Elementary School from 1968 until 1973, while continuing to serve as mayor.[3] He moved back to Majuro in 1974, where he was employed at the Marshall Islands High School as the school's Media and Curriculum specialist.[3]

Tomeing campaigned for and won a seat in the

Jaluit atolls. He held this seat from 1974 until 1978.[3] In 1976, Tomeing was appointed as one of the Marshallese delegates at the Federated States of Micronesia Constitutional Convention, which was held in Saipan, the Northern Mariana Islands.[3]

In 1978, Tomeing became a delegate and member at large to the Marshall Islands Constitutional Convention, which was held in Majuro.[3]

Tomeing was again elected as one of the 33 members of the Nitijela in 1979, shortly after the political separation of the Marshall Islands from the neighboring Federated States of Micronesia. He has held a seat in the Nitijela continuously since 1979, as of January 2019.[5]

Tomeing served as the Vice Speaker of the Nitijela from 1992 to 1995.

Ratak Chain as part of his cabinet position.[3]

Tomeing became the

Presidency of the Marshall Islands

Following the parliamentary election, he was a candidate in the

AKA coalition.[7] He was elected president on 7 January 2008 by the Nitijela, receiving 18 votes over 15 for incumbent Kessai Note.[4][8] He was sworn in, along with a cabinet composed of ten ministers, on 14 January by Carl Ingram, the Chief Justice of the High Court.[9]

His election was believed to herald a shift from the pro-

Taiwan policy of Marshall Islands, possibly marking an end to Marshall Islands–Taiwan diplomatic relations.[10] However, in office Tomeing expressed continued support for ties with Taiwan and met with the vice-president of Taiwan, Annette Lu, when she visited the Marshall Islands on 29 January 2008.[11]

President Tomeing inaugurated a

food-processing plants in the 1970s,[13] is the largest population outside of the Marshall Islands.[12] Tomeing's own grandson graduated from Springdale High School in 2008.[12]

Tomeing was removed from office by the Marshall Islands' first successful

vote of no confidence on 21 October 2009.[14] Tomeing had survived two previous votes of no confidence.[14] The legislature, which voted 17–15 in favour of the motion, elected a new president on 23 October, Jurelang Zedkaia. The speaker, Jurelang Zedkaia, named Ruben Zackhras as the acting president in the meantime.[14] Zackhras previously served as Tomeing's Minister in Assistance.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Republic of the Marshall Islands".
  2. ^ "RMI Consulate-Arkansas". RMI Consulate-Arkansas. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  3. ^
    President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Archived from the original
    on 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  4. ^ a b Giff Johnson, "Opposition Takes Control Of Marshall Islands Government" Archived 2007-06-14 at archive.today, Pacific Magazine, January 7, 2008.
  5. ^ "Ruben made his mark on RMI". January 3, 2019.
  6. ^ "Marshalls election defection raises future of Taiwan ties" Archived 2007-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, AFP, November 16, 2007.
  7. ^ tonyexposed.2pt.net http://tonyexposed.2pt.net/2007/12/08/aka-upp-opposition-coalition-presidential-candidate-litokwa-tomeing-flip-flops-on-china-policy-debrum-dismisses-opposition-coalition-leader-kabua-as-mentally-disabled/. Retrieved 22 May 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Radio New Zealand International
    . 7 January 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  9. ^ "29th Constitutional Regular Session Inauguration of President and Cabinet Members" Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, Office of the President web site, 18 January 2008.
  10. ^ "New Marshall Islands President Elected" Archived 2012-02-07 at the Wayback Machine, Islands Business, 7 January 2008.
  11. ^ "President Litokwa Tomeing welcomes Vice President Annette Lu of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Marshall Islands" Archived 2013-10-16 at the Wayback Machine, Office of the President web site, 30 January 2008.
  12. ^ a b c d Caraway, Steve (2009-09-28). "Marshallese Consulate Opens, Island president attends". The Morning News. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  13. ^ Marsh, Mary (2009-09-28). "Marshallese President Celebrates in Northwest Arkansas". KFSM. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  14. ^ a b c "Marshall Islands premier ousted in confidence vote". AFP. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  15. ^ "Marshall Islands President defeated". Australia Network News. 21 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2009.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
President of the Marshall Islands

2008–2009
Succeeded by