Tommy Remengesau

Thomas Esang Remengesau, Jr. ( born February 28, 1956 in Koror ) was from 2001 until 1 January 2009 and again since 2013 President of Palau.

The son of Ferista Esang Remengesau and Thomas O. Remengesau Sr. was born as the oldest of eight children. His father was involved in politics and took over as acting head of state in the Office of the then colony of Palau.

Remengesau Jr. studied in Allendale in the USA. In 1984 he was elected at the age of 28 years as a senator in the Palau National Congress. He was the youngest senator ever in Palau.

1992 Remengesau was elected Vice - President of the island nation and entered the office on 1 January 1993. At the same time he became Minister of Finance and provided in this office for the financial stability of the island nation. Through his work Palau in 1998 a member of the Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. In 2000 he was finally elected president. His swearing-in ceremony took place on 1 January 2001. On the day exactly eight years later, Johnson Toribiong him in the office of head of state after.

Remengesau looked at it as the main tasks of his presidency to make Palau less dependent on the United States and to promote tourism to a limited extent.

On November 6, 2012, he defeated Toribiong in the runoff election to the presidency with about 58 % of the vote and was sworn in on January 17, 2013 again as president.