After four months of having no organized legislative body, the 12th Aimeliik State Legislature convened for their first regular session in accordance with Aimeliik State Law ASPL 7-05 that mandates that the Aimeliik State Legislature must convene for its first regular session on the second Tuesday of April of each year.
Temporary Speaker Kyle Ongesii called the session and all nine sworn members were in attendance. Upon the session convening, a vote to adopt Resolution ASL 12-01, installing Legislator Jeff Eriich as the new Speaker, Legislator Alvin Samsel as Vice Speaker and Legislator Jason Techur Timulch as Floor Leader was approved unanimously by all nine members of the legislature without contest or fanfare even though four members of the nine member legislature has held the legislature in limbo for 4 months contending that one of them Temporary Speaker Kyle Ongesii was the only one authorized to call a session in absence of a permanent speaker.
Half-way into the FY 2020, the legislature finally convened and organized. Officers are still to take their oaths of office but with Palau Judiciary closed due to COVID-19 precautions, it is not yet confirmed when they will be sworn in as officials of the 12th Legislature.
The 12th Aimeliik State government took office on December 10th, 2019. Both Governor-elect Browny Simer and the 9 legislator-elects took their oaths of office. The legislators after taking oath of office re-convened to elect their officers but instead voted to adjourn and to reconvene later.
Temporary Speaker Kyle Ongesii, the youngest elected legislator did not call a session to reconvene. Majority of the members, in accordance with Aimeliik State Constitution, called a session to organize. After the session, the majority requested Acting Chief Justice Rechucher to assign a judge to administer their oaths of office. Following their request, Temporary Speaker Ongesii requested Acting Chief Justice Rechucher not to administer oath of office, contending that Aimeliik constitution states that only a Speaker or Governor may call a session and that session called by the majority was unconstitutional.
Acting Justice Rechucher denied administering the oath citing possible issue should this contest become a case.
No special session was called by the Temporary Speaker for four months until this April 14 which is the mandated session by law.
According to citizens who witnessed the session, the members seemed conciliatory and called for unity and cooperation.
Members of the 12th Aimeliik State Legislature are Legislator Jeff Eriich, Legislator Jason Techur Timulch, Legislator Alvin Samsel, Legislator Scott Weers Erungel, Legislator Kolas Eriich, Legislator Larry Mamis, Legislator Leilani Senior, Legislator Wridan Ngiralmau and Legislator Kyle Ongesii.