---

Election Held for Pohnpei At-Large Member After Falcam Became 5^th FSM Vice-President

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): July 2, 1997 - About 12,618 eligible voters including those living abroad cast their votes to elect among the eight candidates to fill Pohnpei's vacant At-Large seat in the 10^th FSM Congress.

Unofficial election result reported over the radio station V6AH has indicated Resio S. Moses, now the FSM Ambassador to the United Nations led the race with roughly 24.77 percent of the votes cast, trailing behind is candidate Mideon G. Neth with roughly 21 percent; in third place is former Chief Justice Edwel H. Santos with a little over 18 percent; and in fourth place was State Senator Yosuo (Pwonsi) Phillip with 16.87 percent of the total votes; Bellarmine Ioanis with 8 percent; William Seneres, 6 percent; State Senator Herman Semes with approximately 4 percent and Elias H. Thomas with less than one percent of the total votes cast. The counting and tabulation began after polls were closed until 10 p.m. on election day, July 2 and resumed Thursday morning until its completion in the afternoon, July 3, 1997.

The vacancy occurred when At-Large Senator Leo A. Falcam became the fifth FSM Vice President succeeding then Vice President Jacob Nena who succeeded former President Bailey Olter who vacated the top post due to illness.

The official result of the election will be announced later after the completion of the counting and tabulation of the ballots, according to National Election Director Max Mallarme.