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.
"Belau rekid" is the national anthem of Palau. Officially adopted in 1981, the music was composed by Ymesei O. Ezekiel, to which the combined words of several authors were set.
On a national level, the citizens of Palau elect a president, who serves a four-year term, and acts as head of state. A national bicameral legislature, is also elected, consisting of the Palau National Congress and the Senate of Palau. The National Congress has 16 members, each serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 9 members, also serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies.
The Senate of Palau is the upper house of the Palau National Congress. The Senate has 13 members serving four-year terms in multi-seat constituencies. No political parties exist. The most recent election was held on 3 November 2020.
The House of Delegates of Palau is the lower house of the Palau National Congress, Palau's bicameral legislature. The Senate of Palau is the upper house. The House of Delegates has 16 members, each serving four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. Each state represents one constituency. No political parties exist. The last election was held on 3 November 2020.
General elections were held in Palau on 4 November 2008 to elect the President and members of the National Congress. The presidential election was won by Johnson Toribiong. Incumbent President Tommy Remengesau was ineligible to run because he had served the maximum two consecutive terms allowed and announced that he would run for a seat in the Senate.
Hersey Kyota is a Palauan politician and diplomat who has served as the ambassador of Palau to the United States since 1997. He is the current dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Washington, D.C., as the longest-serving ambassador to the United States.
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 following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Palau:
Hokkons Baules is a businessman and a politician, and currently a member of the Senate of Palau. He has been the president of the Senate since 19 January 2017. He was elected in 2008 to fill the seat of the late Senate president Johnny Reklai. He had previously served in the Senate of the Second Olbiil Era Kelulau from 1985 until 1988.
Surangel Samuel Whipps Sr. is a Palauan businessman and politician. He served as the president of the Senate of Palau from January 2005 to April 2005, and from 25 April 2007 to 15 January 2009, and as the speaker of the House of Delegates of Palau from January 1993 to November 1996. He was born in Airai.
Ngerulmud is the seat of government of the Republic of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It replaced Koror City as a capital in 2006. The settlement is located in the state of Melekeok on Babeldaob, the country's largest island, located 20 kilometers northeast of Koror City and 2 km northwest of Melekeok City. It is the least-populous capital city of a sovereign nation in the world.
A six-part referendum was held in Palau on 2 November 2004 alongside the country's general elections. Voters were asked questions on summoning a Constitutional Convention, payment of members of the National Congress, creating a unicameral Congress, term limits for Congress members, election of the President and Vice President and dual citizenship. All proposals were approved except the unicameral Congress, which despite receiving a majority of the public vote, did not meet the quorum of 12 of 16 states required for amendments to the constitution.
A twenty-three-part referendum was held in Palau on 4 November 2008 alongside the country's general elections. Voters were asked questions on requirements of citizenship to hold office, government provision of primary school and health care, the definition of marriage and term limits for Parliament. Only the proposal permitting naturalization for certain adoptees failed to obtain the requisite majority of the vote and majority in 3/4th of the states.
Raynold B. Oilouch is a Palauan politician who served as the Vice President of Palau from 19 January 2017 to 21 January 2021. Oilouch was elected vice president in the 2016 elections. He was also the Minister of Justice.
The Congress of Micronesia was a bicameral legislature in Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1964 to 1979.
Rukebai Kikuo Skey Inabo is a Palauan politician, who has been a member of the Senate of Palau since 2016. Prior to entering politics, Inabo was a businesswoman who worked at the Office of the Public Auditor, the Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Company, the Bank of Hawaii and was CEO at the Palau Public Utilities Corporation. She joined the Senate of Palau at the 2016 Palauan general election.
General elections were held in Palau on 3 November 2020 to elect a President and the National Congress.
Seit Andres is a Palauan politician and President of the Senate of Palau from September 1999 to December 2004.
Mason N. Whipps is a Palauan politician. Whipps was elected to the Senate of Palau in the 2020 Palauan general election.
