MAJURO@ONLINE 
MARCH 1, 2002 (M.I. Journal)
A RECENTLY INTRODUCED BILL TO AMEND THE KWAJALEIN ATOLL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY LEGISLATION HAS CAUSED SPARKS TO FLY AT KWAJALEIN. THE BILL, NUMBER 88 INTRODUCED BY KWAJAELIN SENATOR ATAJI BALOS AND SUPPORTED BY MINITERS RIENT MORRIS AND ALIVEN JACKLICK AND OTHERS. BALOS WAS UNTIL RECENTLY THE KWAJALEIN SENATOR WHO REPRESENTED THE KWAJALEIN SENATORIAL DELEGATION OF THREE ON THE KADA BOARD. HE WAS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE AGENCY, WHICH IS MANDATED WITH SUPERVISING DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ON KWAJALEIN. SINCE VOTING TO SUPORT PRESIDENT KESSAI NOTE IN A MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, BALOS'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TWO OTHER KWAJALEIN SENATORS, IROIJLAPLAP IMATA KABUA AND SATO MAIE, HAS BEEN TESTY. THE CURRENT KADA LEGISLATION MANDATES THAT A MAJORITY OF THE THREE SENATOR DELEGATION FROM KWAJALEIN SELECT ONE TO REPRESENT THEM ON THE KADA BOARD. RECENTLY, KABUA AND MAIE ISSUED A LETTER NAMING MAIE AS THE KWAJALEIN SENATOR ON THE KADA BOARD. IROIJ MIKE KABUA WAS SELECTED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, LEAVING BALOS NOT ONLY WITHOUT THE CHIARMANSHIP BUT WITHOUT A SPOT ON THE BOARD THAT CONTROLS SOME $2MILLION ANNUALLY IN US PROVIDED DEVELOPMENT FUNDS. BALOS IN TURN RECENTLY INTRODUCED BILL 88 TO AMEND THE KADA LEGISLATION. THE RELEVANT PORTION OF THE AMENDMENT READS: " ONE SENATOR, ELECTED TO REPRESENT KWAJALEIN ATOLL IN THE NITIJELA, NOMINATED BY THE PRESIDENT AND WHO SHALL ALSO SERVE AS CHARIMAN OF THE BOARD AGAINST THE CHAIRMAN...SHALL BE VALID UNLESS CONSENTED TO IN WRITING BY THE PRESIDENT." IT SPECIFICALLY DELETES THE REQUIREMENT OF A "CONSENSUS KWAJALEIN ATOLL DELEGATION TO THE NITIJELA" FOR THE APPOINTMENT. OFFICIALS AT KWAJALEIN SAY THIS PROPOSED LEGISLATION HAS ANGERED LEADING KWAJALEIN LANDOWNERS AT A TIME WHEN TIES BETWEEN THE LANDOWNERS AND THE RMI NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN STEADILY IMPR0VING. THE BILL HAS NOT YET BEEN REPORTED OUT OF COMMITEE TO THE FLOOR OF THE NITIJELA.