BREAKING NEWS, August 5, 2003, Majuro: It has been official now that Jurelang has resigned his post as Vice Speaker of Nitijela. Senator Ruben Zackhras(Ailinglaplap) was sworn in as new vice speaker on Tuesday morning. Resignation was to be effective August 04, 2003.
Resignation of Vice-Speaker from Marshall Islands' Parliamentary Post Reported
The Honorable Jurelang Zedkaia, a Majuro Senator of the nation's parliamentary body, has reportedly resigned from his position as "Nitijela" Vice-Speaker, according to sources out of Majuro. Senator Zedkaia is a long-time politician and community leader. He is the son of Leroij Atama Zedkaia, the highest traditional leader of Majuro.
In the 1999 national election, Iroij Zedkaia survived the upset of his party which had governed under the leadership of RMI Presidents Amata Kabua and Imata Kabua, and retained his seat in the Nitijela. He finished third in the bid for one of Majuro's five Nitijela seats, although the other four seats went to United Democratic Party candidates. When the legislature convened in early January 2000, Senator Zedkaia was unanimously elected Vice-Speaker, after losing the bid for Speaker to UDP Chairman Litokwa Tomeing.
