Senators are keeping a tight wrap on the 10th Senate leadership with no clear indication of who gets the top post as Senate President.
Sen. Mark Rudimch in an interview said a clearer picture of the Senate make up will be known by the end of the week, but refused to offer any comments on rumblings about committee chairmanship and the leadership.
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Asked about the line up or whether senators held a caucus after New Year, Rudimch instead stated, “ not for me to say at this time, will offer more information towards the end of the week.”
Senators Camsek Elias Chin and Hokkon Baules aldo did not offer any information on the line-up but said caucus is still pending.
There have been varied reports of the Senate make up, it was earlier reported that the re-elected incumbents with one new Senator-elect Kerai Mariur had caucused and formed a new leadership with Senator Regis Akitaya as president, senator-elect Kerai Mariur as vice president and Senator J. Uduch Sengebau-Senior as floor Leader.
Another report said that incumbents Senator Baules, Senator Mark Rudimch and Senator Phillip Reklai had created a new line up with incumbents Hokkons as president, Rudimch as vice president and Reklai as floor leader.
One report said that Baules would be president, Rukebai Inabo as vice president and Rudmich as chair of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means.
Some reports say that there will be senators who will not get committee chairmanship because of their political alliances.
Incumbents Chin, Baules, Rudimch, Inabo, Senior, Akitaya , Mason Whipps amd Reklai were re-elected for the 10th Congress.
Newcomers are Senators Stevenson Kuartei, Aric Nakamura, Kerai Mariur, Frank Kyota and Johnny Skebong. [/restrict]