The Year 2020 has been an unprecedented year, an extraordinary year for Palau! If ever there is an event devised to test the strength, the resiliency, the policies, and the political will of any established government, it is COVID-19 this 2020.
It is a test that every single country in the world is facing today, revealing a country’s vulnerabilities and strengths and Palau is no exception.
And for Palau, it could not have been devised at a best or worst time. Year 2020, a beginning of a new decade, an end of a single long-running administration, and an election of a new government for Palau.
A legacy to be shaped by the coronavirus impact.
It is almost like an exit test of Remengesau’s administration and its policies over the last 8 years, going thoroughly over every area of government to test its strengths and weaknesses. The government’s response was a measurement of his competency as a leader and his administration.
The resulting outcomes at the end of this year 2020 will be the issue that will be remembered about the president.
Every aspect of life in the country this year has been discussed within the context of COVID-19. Health, economy, education, infrastructures, diplomacy, national election, food security, social welfare and future plans all revolve around COVID-19.
The phrases, “new normal” and “post COVID world”, refer to a country changed by an entire year under the grip of a pandemic.
In the next four issues, Island Times will review the year that was, and this how we remembered 2020.