The politics of Palau take place in a presidential representative democratic republic,whereby the President of Palau is both head of state and head of government. Palau currently has no political parties and is a de facto non-partisan democracy although there is no law preventing the formation of political parties.
Thomas Ongelibel Remengesau,also known as Thomas Remengesau Sr.,was a politician in Palau. He was Vice President of Palau from 1985 to 1988,and acting President of Palau in 1985 and President of Palau from 1988 to 1989 following the violent deaths of two previous presidents.
Kuniwo Nakamura was a Palauan politician who served as the President of Palau from 1993 to 2001. He had earlier served as Vice President of Palau from 1989 to 1993,under Ngiratkel Etpison.
Haruo Ignacio Remeliik was the first President of Palau from 2 March 1981 until his assassination on 30 June 1985. He is buried at Kloulklubed in his home state of Peleliu. Remeliik was of mixed Japanese and Palauan descent.
Lazarus Eitaro Salii was a politician from Palau. He served as the second elected President of Palau from 25 October 1985 until his death by suicide on 20 August 1988,amid bribery allegations.
The defense of Palau is the responsibility of the United States,but local police matters are handled by the Palau Police,the national police force. Some of the sixteen states also had separate police departments during the 1980s and 1990s.
Roman Tmetuchl was a Palauan political leader and businessman. He grew up in Japanese-controlled Palau and joined the Kempeitai,the Japanese secret police,during World War II. After the war,he became the leader of Palau's Liberal Party. He worked in the Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1964 to 1978 and advocated for Palau gaining a separate status from the rest of Micronesia. He became governor of Airai and engaged in three unsuccessful Palauan presidential campaigns. As a businessman,Tmetuchl led several construction projects for his business holdings and for the Palauan community,including the Palau International Airport and a Seventh-Day Adventist clinic.
The Belau National Museum (BNM),previously Palau Museum,is a museum in Koror,Palau. It is the oldest continuously run museum in Micronesia.
General elections were held in Palau on 4 November 1980 to elect a President,Vice-President,Senate and House of Delegates. All candidates ran as independents. Haruo Remeliik won the election for President with 31.2% of the vote,whilst Alfonso Oiterong was elected Vice-President. Voter turnout was 80%.
General elections were held in Palau on 30 November 1984 to elect a President,Vice-President,Senate and House of Delegates. All candidates ran as independents. Incumbent Haruo Remeliik won the election for President with 50.9% of the vote,whilst Alfonso Oiterong was re-elected to the post of Vice-President.
Presidential elections were held in Palau on 28 August 1985 to elect a President and Vice-President,following the assassination of Haruo Remeliik on 30 June. Lazarus Salii won the election for President,defeating interim President Alfonso Oiterong,whilst Thomas Remengesau,Sr. was elected Vice-President. Voter turnout was 79.1%.
General elections were held in Palau on 1 November 2016 to elect a President and the National Congress. Incumbent President Tommy Remengesau was challenged by his brother-in-law,Surangel Whipps Jr. for the presidency,emerging as the top two in the primary elections on 27 September. Remengesau was subsequently re-elected with 51% of the vote.
Surangel S. Whipps Jr. is a Palauan businessman and politician,who has served as the president of Palau since 2021. He served as senator from 2008 to 2016. He is from Ngatpang state,Republic of Palau. Whipps assumed office as the President of Palau on 21 January 2021.
PSS Kedam is a 40-metre (130 ft) patrol boat,donated by the Nippon Foundation and Sasakawa Peace Foundation to Palau,to help it patrol its exclusive economic zone.
PSS Remeliik is a Pacific Forum-class patrol boat,designed and built in Australia,and donated to Palau,to help the nation patrol its exclusive economic zone.
First Lady of Palau is the official title attributed to the wife of the president of Palau. The country's current first lady is Valerie Whipps,wife of President Surangel Whipps Jr.,who had held the position since 21 January 2021.
PSS Remeliik II is a Guardian-class patrol boat in the service of Palau's Division of Maritime Law Enforcement,built,and provided by Australia to replace the Pacific Forum patrol boat PSS Remeliik. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Australia helped its smaller neighbours,in the Pacific Forum by building small patrol boats so they could protect their own sovereignty. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),had extended an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 200 kilometres (120 mi) off the shores of all maritime nations,and for small Island nations in the Pacific protecting their EEZ would be an overwhelming problem.
Haruo Ngiraked Willter is a Palauan civil servant and politician,and former Minister of Administration of Palau responsible for public finances.
John Obeldabl Ngiraked was a Palauan politician.
Jackson R. Ngiraingas is a Palauan politician and businessman who served as Governor of Peleliu from 1995 to 2001 and 2004 to 2009. He resigned during his fourth term to become Minister of Public Infrastructure from 2009 to 2013.
