Kessai Note

Kessai Hesa Note (born August 7, 1950, in Ailinglaplap) was President of the Marshall Islands from 2000 to 2008.

His Excellency
Kessai Hesa Note
3rd President of the Marshall Islands
In office
10 January 2000 – 14 January 2008
Preceded byImata Kabua
Succeeded byLitokwa Tomeing
Speaker of the Nitijela
In office
1988–1999
Preceded byAtlan Anien
Succeeded byLitokwa Tomeing
Personal details
Born (1950-08-07) 7 August 1950
Ailinglaplap Atoll, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Political partyUDP
SpouseMary Neimoj Yamamura

Elected in 1979 alongside Litokwa Tomeing, Note is one of the two longest-serving members of Nitijeļā.[1] He was the Minister of Internal affairs from 1985 to 1986, and Minister of Transportation and communications from 1986 to 1987.[2] Having served as Speaker of the Nitijeļā since 1988,[3] he was elected president in 2000. Note is the first commoner, rather than an Iroijlaplap or traditional chief, to be elected to the Presidency.[4] He is a member of the United Democratic Party, and was reelected by parliament in January 2004, receiving 20 votes, while Justin deBrum received 9.

On January 7, 2008, following the November 2007 general election, he was defeated in his bid for re-election in a vote of Parliament, receiving 15 votes against 18 for Litokwa Tomeing.[4][5]

Kessai Note (right) with U.S. Delegate Eni Faleomavaega.

Note is of Japanese-Marshallese descent, having inherited his Japanese heritage from his paternal grandfather.[6] Note's grandfather was a native of Niigata Prefecture, and settled in the Marshall Islands during the Japanese colonial era and married a Marshallese wife.[7]

Since January 2020, he has been the Minister of Justice.[8]

In February 2023, The Washington Post reported that Note is under investigation by the Marshall Islands' attorney general.[9]

References
  1. "Ruben made his mark on RMI". January 3, 2019.
  2. "Nitijela of the Marshall Island: 3".
  3. "Republic of the Marshall Islands".
  4. Giff Johnson, "Opposition Takes Control Of Marshall Islands Government" Archived 2007-06-14 at archive.today, Pacific Magazine, January 7, 2008.
  5. "Litokwa Tomeing becomes new Marshalls president". Radio New Zealand International. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  6. ケーサイ・ノート　マーシャル諸島共和国大統領略歴
  7. マーシャル諸島共和国大統領会談 Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Official weblog of Akiko Yamanaka, May 28, 2006
  8. "Members".
  9. McKenzie, Pete (February 15, 2023). "Bribes, booze and bombs: The brazen plan to create a Pacific tax haven". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
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