(1950-08-07) 7 August 1950 (age 73) Ailinglaplap Atoll, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Political party
UDP
Spouse
Mary Neimoj Yamamura
Kessai Hesa Note (born August 7, 1950, in Ailinglaplap) is a Marshallese politician who was President of the Marshall Islands from 2000 to 2008.
Elected in 1979 alongside Litokwa Tomeing, Note is one of the two longest-serving members of Nitijeļā.[1] He was the Minister of Internal affairs from 1985 to 1986, and Minister of Transportation and communications from 1986 to 1987.[2] Having served as Speaker of the Nitijeļā since 1988,[3] he was elected president in 2000. Note is the first commoner, rather than an Iroijlaplap or traditional chief, to be elected to the Presidency.[4] He is a member of the United Democratic Party, and was reelected by parliament in January 2004, receiving 20 votes, while Justin deBrum received 9.
On January 7, 2008, following the November 2007 general election, he was defeated in his bid for re-election in a vote of Parliament, receiving 15 votes against 18 for Litokwa Tomeing.[4][5]
Kessai Note (right) with U.S. Delegate Eni Faleomavaega.
Note is of Japanese-Marshallese descent, having inherited his Japanese heritage from his paternal grandfather.[6] Note's grandfather was a native of Niigata Prefecture, and settled in the Marshall Islands during the Japanese colonial era and married a Marshallese wife.[7]
He was the Minister of Justice from 2020 to 2022.[8]
In February 2023, The Washington Post reported that Note is under investigation by the Marshall Islands' attorney general.[9] In December 2023, the United States Department of State barred Note from entering the US under the Global Magnitsky Act for accepting bribes.[10]
^"Ruben made his mark on RMI". January 3, 2019. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
^"Nitijela of the Marshall Island: 3". Archived from the original on 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
^"Republic of the Marshall Islands". Archived from the original on 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
^ abGiff Johnson, "Opposition Takes Control Of Marshall Islands Government" Archived 2007-06-14 at archive.today, Pacific Magazine, January 7, 2008.
^"Litokwa Tomeing becomes new Marshalls president". Radio New Zealand International. 7 January 2008. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
^"ケーサイ・ノート マーシャル諸島共和国大統領略歴". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
^マーシャル諸島共和国大統領会談 Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Official weblog of Akiko Yamanaka, May 28, 2006
^"Members". Archived from the original on 2019-11-03. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
^McKenzie, Pete (February 15, 2023). "Bribes, booze and bombs: The brazen plan to create a Pacific tax haven". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
^"Leveraging Tools to Promote Accountability and Counter Global Corruption". United States Department of State. December 11, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2023-12-11. The United States is publicly designating Note and Halferty, for their involvement in significant corruption by accepting articles of monetary value and other benefits in exchange for acts in the performance of their public functions. Specifically, Note and Halferty accepted bribes in the form of services and cash, in exchange for their legislative support of a bill in the RMI legislature to create a semi-autonomous region in the RMI.
Kessai Hesa Note (born August 7, 1950, in Ailinglaplap) is a Marshallese politician who was President of the Marshall Islands from 2000 to 2008. Elected...
Apostolic Prefecture of Upper Kassai, a mission territory in Central Africa KessaiNote, president of the Marshall Islands Kasai River, a tributary of the Congo...
Eldon Note is a Marshallese politician serving Kili Island in Nitijela. He was elected in the 2019 Marshallese general election with 204 votes. From 1988-1999...
Presidents of the Marshall Islands Amata Kabua Kunio Lemari* Imata Kabua KessaiNote Litokwa Tomeing Ruben Zackhras* Jurelang Zedkaia Christopher Loeak Casten...
Justice in about 2007, and also Minister in Assistance to the President of KessaiNote from February 2004 to March 2006. Philippo was reappointed as associate...
Kunio Lemari, former politician and President James Matayoshi, mayor KessaiNote, former President Consists of 50 Japanese nationals through the Marshall...
to Japanese people settling the islands and marrying native spouses. KessaiNote, the former president of the Marshall Islands has partial Japanese ancestry...
Jack Ading Succeeded by Alfred Alfred Jr. In office 2004–2008 President KessaiNote Preceded by Michael Konelios Succeeded by Jack Ading Personal details...
— 14 January 1997 10 January 2000 2 years, 361 days Aelon̄ Kein Ad 3 KessaiNote (born 1950) 1999 2003 10 January 2000 14 January 2008 8 years, 4 days...
of Ailinglaplap Atoll. The former president of the Marshall Islands, KessaiNote, was born on Jeh Island, Ailinglaplap Atoll. "Ailinglaplap" translates...
Marshall Islands, 1997–2000) The Note family Nathan Note (anti-nuclear lobbyist in Bikini Atoll) KessaiNote (nephew of Nathan Note; President of the Marshall...
Name Period Notes Atlan Anien 1979–1988 KessaiNote 1988–1999 Litokwa Tomeing January 10, 2000 – 2007 Jurelang Zedkaia January 7, 2008 – October 26, 2009...
January 2008 by the Nitijela, receiving 18 votes over 15 for incumbent KessaiNote. He was sworn in, along with a cabinet composed of ten ministers, on...
to the Marshall Islands. He was Minister of Finance in the cabinet of KessaiNote from 2000 to 2004. "Government". Rmiembassyus.org. Archived from the...
Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright Marshall Islands: President KessaiNote Vanuatu: Prime Minister Ham Lini Japan: Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro...
President KessaiNote, who had led the no confidence measure against Tomeing. Tomeing and Kessai had engaged in a power struggle since Kessai had lost...
was elected as presidential candidate by default when former President KessaiNote refused to elect Aelon Kein Ad chosen nominee Tony Debrum who had won...
in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands in the cabinets of KessaiNote from July 2001 to February 2004, and from March 2006 to January 2008...
Global Information
