Overview:
A petition to recall Ngchesar Delegate Rebecca Ngirmechaet has been rejected after election officials found it lacked enough valid voter support. The decision raises questions about recall efforts and voter eligibility requirements in Palau.
Verification finds only 83 valid signatures, below 97 required under Constitution
By: L.N. Reklai
KOROR, Palau (April 16, 2026)— The Palau Election Commission has rejected a petition seeking the recall of Ngchesar State Delegate Rebecca Sebalt Ngirmechaet after determining it did not meet the constitutional requirement for valid signatures.
In a letter to Percy Rechelluul, a former Ngchesar State Council member identified as the contact for the petitioners, the commission said the recall effort failed to reach the minimum threshold mandated under Article IX, Section 17 of the Palau Constitution.
The petition was submitted with 100 signatures. However, the commission said at least 97 valid signatures — equal to 25% of voters in the most recent election for the seat — were required to initiate the recall process.
According to the commission, 388 voters cast ballots in the Nov. 5, 2024 general election for Ngchesar State delegate. Based on that total, a minimum of 97 verified signatures was needed.
Following a verification process, the commission found that 17 signatures on the petition belonged to individuals who were not registered voters in Ngchesar State during the 2024 general election. Those signatures were invalidated, leaving 83 confirmed signatures.
With the total falling short of the required threshold, the commission rejected the petition. Ngchesar petitioners may file another petition as long as it meets the 97-signature requirement.
Ngirmechaet, who was elected in the 2024 general election, is the first woman to represent Ngchesar State in the Olbiil Era Kelulau, Palau’s national congress. She is also one of four women currently serving among the 16 state delegates.
Her election comes amid a broader increase in women’s representation in Ngchesar. In the state’s December 2025 general election, three women — including the youngest member — were elected to the Ngchesar State Assembly: M. Kyarii Kazuma, Hasinta Tabelual and Isikl Benjamin.