People who leave outside of the Marshall Islands should not be allowed to vote :: Yokwe Online

People who leave outside of the Marshall Islands should not be allowed to vote

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la_jera

Registered: Feb 18, 2003

Last visit: Aug 05, 2012

Posts: 273
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 02:15 AM

Per this week's MIJ, newly elected Senator for Rongelap, Honorable Senator Kenneth Kedi was quoted as saying "everyone has the right to vote" but he added that he did not believe that people who live outside the Marshall Islands should be eligible to vote.

"If you're not contributing by means of paying taxes, then you shouldn't vote". "Why should local taxpayers pay for those who live off-island?"

Well, Senator Kedi, you forget one thing. Those 1000s of ri-majol who live in the US are taxpayers who do contribute by means of paying taxes. They pay US taxes. Our small country receives $60 million a year from the US under the Compact of Free Association. Where does the US get the money to provide funding to our country - US taxpayers, including those resident ri-majol. So why shouldn't they be entitled to vote?

And if we leave it to local ri-majol who contribute by means of paying taxes, the last I saw regarding our unemployment rate was over 30%. So those unfortunate ri-majol who don't have a job, they can't vote either?

edited by: la_jera, Jan 23, 2008 - 12:22 AM
cchonggum

Registered: Jan 22, 2008

Last visit: Jun 11, 2008

Posts: 2
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 06:30 AM

Happy New Year and Good Morning! I'm pretty sad to hear Senator Kedi comment and idea of not letting us Marshallese living outside the marshall islands to vote since we do not pay taxes to RMI. I totally agree with la_jera and here are my additions to this issue.
Well,leaders, you should put your comment on review before you bring up to be heard, seen, and judged by the people. What about those Marshallese people living in the Marshall Islands who do not work and therefore do not pay taxes? What about those Marshallese living in the outer islands who are not working and not paying taxes? Does the Constitution say that Marshallese not paying taxes and Marshallese living outside of the Marshall Islands DO NOT VOTE? If it is not so, then why do we have to go against the Constitution? Change the Constitution first before making such comment.
How did this come up? Is it because of the election problem? Are we blaming the voters living outside RMI? I am living in Arkansas and I saw many voters who received their ballots after the 19th, some went ahead and sent their ballots back and many others did not. Seems to me, it was not the voters' problem but the election office problem.
Come on! If Senator Kedi brought this up as a solution to the past unorganized election ever, I question his problem solving skill. This is shallow and I suggest digging down deeper to the root of the problem and start solving from there and work up and to every angle of the problem.
So if you do not pay taxes, are you also going to bring up not letting all Marshallese living in the Marshall Islands and those living outside of RMI NOT to go and see the doctors at Majuro & Ebeye hospitals and health dispensaries in the outer islands?
Tutu

Registered: Apr 12, 2006

Last visit: Jun 19, 2008

Posts: 38
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 09:05 AM

Wow, the senator should be call dishonorable Senator Kedi! What a disgrace...
jokkijal

Registered: Mar 25, 2007

Last visit: Jan 09, 2013

Posts: 1979
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 09:22 AM

He just a "rokkie"
Our tax is really huge..can serve the people and kill the people.(Jonan an aurok tax ke an ri majol rejab iwoj wot nan Majol ak rej bar etal nan bomb e Irag im lak moj bar re-build ie.Ak bolen mol eo tax ke am rej bar koman bwe lal in en wor aineman.)
jokkijal

Registered: Mar 25, 2007

Last visit: Jan 09, 2013

Posts: 1979
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 09:48 AM

JUON IAN KOTTOBAR KO AN KIEN EO EKEEL EKKAR NAN KAR NAAN EO AN PRESIDENT "LT"

"Mr: Speaker,kien in ad rainin ej jutak ben ilo kottobar eo nan kokomanlok im kokojoor juon ian JOORLEP ko ilo jemenai eo ad.
MARON im JIMWE EO AN ARMIJ NAN KELET RI_KWELOK RO AER".That plain and simple.
investor

Registered: Jun 29, 2007

Last visit: May 15, 2008

Posts: 26
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 11:19 AM

Wow! A rookie senator talking like this? Well, Senator Kedi, I hope you have a lot of votes in the islands when your term is due because you just lost all the absentees in the mainland. We will remember!

edited by: investor, Jan 22, 2008 - 01:22 PM
likao-in-mejro

Registered: Nov 17, 2007

Last visit: Sep 23, 2009

Posts: 45
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 12:26 PM

ignorant statement.....

just a young buck shooting his mouth off....probably won't happen again after alap ro an Rongelap gets ahold of him....
Jab_Ine

Registered: Nov 28, 2007

Last visit: Jun 30, 2010

Posts: 19
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 02:25 PM

Wow, ijab tomak ke Senator in ej konono rot in. Ta ej member in UDP ke?
la_jera

Registered: Feb 18, 2003

Last visit: Aug 05, 2012

Posts: 273
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 02:46 PM

In addition to Senator Kedi's rookie comments, the Nitijela member from Jaluit, Senator Jacklick, chipped in with a comment "that we need to design a mechanism like Taiwan where any eligible voter must be in the country to vote."

What is Senator Jacklick implying here? Ri-majol living in the US or other parts of the world must find funds to buy a ticket and fly back home to vote?

The commission of enquiry cannot come soon enough. And let's hope this one does not stay in the filing cabinet like the Tobolar report but is actually published for us ri-majol to read and judge for ourselves.
Re-Action

Registered: Feb 20, 2003

Last visit: Sep 08, 2010

Posts: 360
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 02:49 PM

Being a Senator does not mean you have the absolute right to take away the people's constitutional rights. Its a shame!

The Senator needs to apologize to the people of Rongelap and the whole Republic.

edited by: Re-Action, Jan 22, 2008 - 07:51 PM

"For every Actions, there is an Equal Re-Action"
Jokkos

Registered: Sep 12, 2005

Last visit: Sep 05, 2012

Posts: 356
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 04:39 PM

Unin an kar bar wor tarbok lo election ken absentee ballots! Emman lak idea in,jab vote or etal im vote majol!! bwe en bidodo lak wot non koj! ne ejelok am $ im fly back im vote,ekwe tell that to your runners!

Jab run,vote ne ejjelok am jaan! simple as that!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on."
Kitangtang

Registered: Dec 14, 2005

Last visit: Nov 21, 2011

Posts: 441
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 05:08 PM

I might not be paying taxes in the Marshall Islands, but what I pay here in the US and what US contributes to the islands is part of my taxes, too. And regardless, where I am, ewor ao maron in vote jen aelon eo ao. Na riMajol jekron ij jokwe im bed ia. Goodness sake, naan rot kein jen loniin Senator ne jen Rongelap. Maybe he should directed his comments to the island he respresents and not to include the rest of the islands. He might be a Senator, but he has no right to take our rights to vote in our country. Please... idiotic, non sense kenan!

edited by: Kitangtang, Jan 22, 2008 - 10:09 PM
lajima

Registered: Oct 27, 2004

Last visit: Feb 15, 2013

Posts: 881
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 06:11 PM

Kedi,

Yokwe yuk moktata. Kein karuo, ijjab lo unin an kar riRonglap kelet yuk im kajijet yuk ilo jea ne an Senator non ailin eo ke kwe ejjab kwe rimeletlet ilo am kwalok naan rot ne. Kwoj aikuij jijet lok jen jea ne bwe ejelok tokjen am jijet im kella.

Jokkos,

Unin an wor tarbok ilo election eo, kin UDP im Carl. Ear ejelok ilo election ko lok ak ej kab wor ilo tore eo kio. Kien ear jolok elap money non jilkin lok Carl bwe en train in ta...?...kakure election eo ke? Maron im jimwe non kelet rikwelok ej an aolep riMajol jekdron ia kobed ie. Komro Kedi ej lomnak in ukot jemene ne ke...? Ejelok Senator likjab in dre ne an kenan.

"Mejed kabilok kij"
wanted

Registered: May 14, 2003

Last visit: May 09, 2012

Posts: 1615
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 06:32 PM

interesting as this past 2007 was the most expensive election ever. Til this day they are trying to find budget to pay off dues owed. This was a report from the new Minister of I.A.

"Sometimes you just can't argue with stupid!!!"
Kitangtang

Registered: Dec 14, 2005

Last visit: Nov 21, 2011

Posts: 441
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 06:40 PM

Bwelon cut their wages, (Senators) cut the perks they are getting for free, cut travel expenses, cut bar jet wawen, botap jaab bok maron in ad in vote ken ad jaab jokwe ilo Majol. Jekron ia jej bed ia, ad maron in vote ej einwot bar ro rej bed ilo Majol.

Most expensive election? an won bwod? ebwod kotobalbal im lukun un-organized in jerbal. Elon election all these years, none as costly and messy as this past one. Ne ej wor nana in jerbal, ej naj wor wot jorren.

edited by: Kitangtang, Jan 22, 2008 - 11:43 PM