Litokwa Tomeing

Infobox President
name = Litokwa Tomeing


order = President of the Marshall Islands
vicepresident =
term_start = 14 January 2008
term_end =
predecessor = Kessai Note
successor =
birth_date = birth date and age|1939|10|14|df=y
birth_place = Wotje Atoll, Ratak Chain, Marshall Islands
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Arlin Tomeing
party = AKA
UPP
religion =

Litokwa Tomeing (born October 14, 1939 at Wotje Atoll) has been the President of the Marshall Islands since January 2008.

Tomeing is a traditional chief.Giff Johnson, [http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2008/01/07/opposition-takes-control-of-marshall-islands-government "Opposition Takes Control Of Marshall Islands Government"] , "Pacific Magazine", January 7, 2008.] He served as Speaker of the Nitijela for eight years before defecting from the governing United Democratic Party (UDP) to the opposition in November 2007, shortly before the parliamentary election held that month. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJzkdpVXMOUj3FEW_gzwYf2uJjog "Marshalls election defection raises future of Taiwan ties"] , AFP, November 16, 2007.]

Following the parliamentary election, he was a candidate in the January 2008 presidential election for the UPP/AKA coalition. [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/] He was elected as President on 7 January 2008 by Parliament, receiving 18 votes over 15 for incumbent Kessai Note. [ [http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=37332 "Litokwa Tomeing becomes new Marshalls president"] , Radio New Zealand International, 7 January 2008.] He was sworn in, along with a Cabinet composed of 10 ministers, on 14 January by Carl Ingram, the Chief Justice of the High Court. [ [http://www.rmigovernment.org/news_detail.jsp?docid=224 "29th Constitutional Regular Session Inauguration of President and Cabinet Members"] , Office of the President web site, 18 January 2008.] 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. [http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=130/focusContentID=11282/tableName=mediaRelease/overideSkinName=newsArticle-full.tpl] However, in office Tomeing expressed continued support for ties with Taiwan and met with Taiwanese Vice-President Annette Lu when she visited the Marshall Islands on January 29 2008. [ [http://www.rmigovernment.org/news_detail.jsp?docid=225 "President Litokwa Tomeing welcomes Vice President Annette LU of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Marshall Islands"] , Office of the President web site, 30 January 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.rmigovernment.org/index.jsp Office of the President]
* [http://www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate/marshallislands.shtml President Tomeing's address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly] , September 25, 2008