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Nine vie for Congressional seat

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): June 8, 2001 - On June 4, 2001, the Office of the National Election Director released the official listing of candidates vying for the Congressional seat for Pohnpei's Election District 2 (Madolenimw and Kitti).

The candidate listing indicated that nine hopefuls have met the requirements for candidacy thus qualifying them to run in the Special Election set for June 30, 2001.

The official candidates are:

from Kitti (4): - Dwight E. Edward, Onlino I. Lawrence, Solpisio T. Salvador and Herman Semes.

from Madolenihmw (5): - Benskin B. Etse, Bellarmine Helgenberger, Dion G. Neth, John H. Thomas and Dexter Weital.

The Special Election will fill the two-year Congressional seat vacated by the untimely passing of Senator Wagner Lawrence of Kitti. Lawrence had won the Elections of March 2001 and passed away the following month, April 9 2001.

The late Senator was elected in 1989 as Pohnpei's District 2 representative in the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia, a seat he had dutifully maintained until his death.

The 57 polling sites in Madolenihmw and Kitti are gearing up for the election slated for Saturday, June 30, 2001. Residents of district 2 who will be off-island on that day are encouraged to cast their votes prior to their departure.

The deadline to submit absentee requests is June 25 and the ballots must reach the National Election Commissioners office in Kolonia by 5:00 pm, June 30 2001.