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President Calls for State-National Leadership Conference and Special Session of Congress in March

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): March 1, 2010 - President Mori has called for a State-National Leadership Conference (SNLC) and a Special Session of Congress to be held back-to-back in March to address some important issues for the National and State Governments. The SNLC will be held from March 18-19, 2010 in Pohnpei, directly preceding the Third Special Session of Congress, which is scheduled to begin on March 20^th.

Letters to the four state governors went out from the President to invite them to the SNLC. In addition to the governors, funding to bring the Chairman from each state's Chamber of Commerce, a representative of the mayors from each state, and the Speaker of the State Legislatures, including the President of the Chuuk Senate, has been secured. The FSM Department of Resources and Development, as the Secretariat for the SNLC, is putting together a provisional agenda for the conference. So far, fisheries and tax reform are the main topics of the conference but each state is being asked to submit agenda items that they would like to see addressed.

Following the SNLC will be the Third Special Session of Congress for at least seven days to deal with some pending and urgent matters including old and new nominations, legislations, treaties, and grant approvals.