Politics
FSM’s Leo Falcam Accepts Defeat
Now he wants to take a break, but not for long
In a candid telephone conversation, outgoing President of the Federated States of Micronesia, Leo Falcam expressed his wish to semi- retire from the political scene at least for the short term.
Following his defeat in the March national election, one that has been labelled surprising in churning out new faces and upsetting big names, Falcam is ready to slow the tempo although it would be difficult, he added, to become entirely uninvolved.
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"I’ve spent all my life in the government service and it is time for a break," Falcam said, adding that he would nevertheless like to see the next 20 years of the Compact of Free Association with the United States effectively carried out.
Marshall Islands and Palau are also party to the Compact of Free Association deal with the United States.
With over 10 years experience in Congress, Falcam said he contested the Pohnpei State seat "with optimism."
"I was very confident that I’d be able to pull it through like in previous elections. The choice was different in this election and I respect that."
First elected governor for the state of Pohnpei in 1979 and having held several senior government positions, two years as vice-president and four years as president, Falcam said he believed that those years of familiarity with the way government functioned has placed him in good stead.
A glance at the results of the Pohnpei at-large-seats showed Falcam (3897) was outrun by Resio Moses (5283) and newcomer Mohner Esiel (4079). Whether it was voter apathy that may have swung support, Falcam could not say.
"It’s a difficult issue to address. Apathy is a fluid thing. There was quite a bit of active participation and discussion going on before the election so it’s hard to say."
Falcam’s platform included a push to preserve traditional values; maintaining Federated States of Micronesia’s international relations particularly with the European Community and countries that have assisted the territory in its development.
"We were successful with the Tuna Commission. That was a blast for my administration." The Tuna Commission will be responsible for the management and conservation of tuna stocks caught beyond each country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Falcam’s style of leadership is firm and he considers himself a "decisive person", one reason why some may be overwhelmed.
He certainly believes that some decisions that he had made during his four-year term are returning to "haunt me". One of those decisions was rigorous government reform in an effort to streamline employment in the public service.
The Veteran, as Falcam is often referred to, notes that government used to be the largest employer in the territory, but with the restructure this was reduced to some 23 percent from an unofficial figure of 60 percent.
The first seating of the Thirteenth Congress is on May 11 when a vice-president and president will be known. As for the long term for Falcam returning to elective office, he said, it is not an idea he’s contemplating.
Meanwhile, the Office of the National Election employed new procedures during the recent election. These included:
- Decentralised polling stations. Elections office director, Bernell Edward said that previously it took about a week to release results because ballot boxes had to be collected at a central location before counting ensued. With the new system, as polls close at 5pm, counting ends around 10pm on the same day.
- Change in the election code. Edward said that while the 100 feet rule only previously applied to candidates, it now applies to all voters. Identification cards are issued to candidate’s representatives and polling staff to avoid confusion. "As soon as voters cast their vote they’re expected to leave the area and remain a hundred feet from the polling booths," Edward said. Prior to the 100 feet rule, he said there was often chaos, but now it’s a "very peaceful" process.
- Voter Registration System was set up with a grant of US$350,000 from the Australian government. The system is able to identify double voters. Previous elections, said Edward, often had names of deceased persons on the roll for years and sometimes names of the deceased were used to cast votes.
