Manny Mori

Emanuel "Manny" Mori (born December 25, 1948) is the current President of the Federated States of Micronesia. He was elected by the nation's Congress on May 11, 2007 and sworn in the same day.

Mori has four daughters by his first wife Elina Ekiek. He has remarried, to Emma Mori.

Early Life

Mori was born on the island of Fefan and attended and graduated from Xavier High School. Following his graduation in 1969, Mori went to the University of Guam. Mori proceeded to graduate in 1973 with a BA in Business Management.

After completing his university education, Mori was chosen for a management internship at Citicorp Credit-Guam. In 1974, he became the Assistant Manager at the Citicorp branch in Saipan.

Mori left Citicorp in 1976 after he accepted the position of Assistant Administrator of the Trust Territory Social Security Office. In 1979, he became the National Revenue Officer for the State of Chuuk, administering the Tax & Revenue Office. He then served as the Comptroller of the FSM Development Bank from 1981 until 1983 and subsequently as the President and CEO until 1997.

Finally, he was the Executive Vice President of the Bank of the Federated States of Micronesia from 1997 until his 1999 election to Congress.

Political career

Mori was first elected to the FSM Congress in a special election held on July 1, 1999. He was subsequently re-elected in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. On May 11, 2007, Mori was elected President of the Federated States of Micronesia, defeating the incumbent, Joseph Urusemal. He took office with immediate effect and thus vacated his seat in the Congress.

Family

Genealogical records showed that Mori is the great-grandson of Koben Mori. A native of Shikoku, Japan and the son of a Samurai, Koben Mori was among the first Japanese to settle in Micronesia. Koben Mori first established himself in Moen, Chuuk but later resettled in Tol. He married the daughter of a local chieftain from Weno, with whom he had six sons and five daughters. Koben Mori's eldest son, Taro is the paternal grandfather of Manny Mori.

During his tenure as president, Mori made an official visit to his ancestral homeland in Kochi prefecture in 2008 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of bilateral relations between Japan and the Federated States of Micronesia. He received a warm welcome from the governor and mayor. Mori also paid respects to his ancestor, the primogenitor of the Mori clan, Mori Katsunobu.

From : www.wikipedia.org

Micronesia

Micronesia, in the western Pacific, consists of some 600 islands grouped into four states: Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk (Truk) and Yap.

Occupying a very small total land mass, it is scattered over an ocean expanse five times the size of France.

Though formally independent, in 1986 Micronesia signed a "Compact of Free Association" with the US. Under this, Washington took on responsibility for defence and gained the right to set up military bases and deny other nations access to Micronesia. In return, Micronesia received financial assistance averaging $100m per year, and the right of Micronesians to live and work in the US. Micronesia also takes its cue from Washington on foreign policy.

A renegotiated 20-year compact, worth $3.5 billion to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, was signed by US President George W Bush in December 2003. Some of the money is being diverted into trust funds, intended to provide a financial resource for Micronesia after the compact expires.

Despite its small population and the large amount of incoming aid from the US, Japan and elsewhere, Micronesia has relatively high unemployment, a matter compounded by increasing numbers of Filipino migrant workers.

Many Micronesians live without electricity or running water, which is in short supply and is sometimes rationed. The gap between rich and poor is increasing as business and officials benefit disproportionately from US aid donations.

Micronesia's biggest challenge is to find a way of lessening its dependence on foreign aid. Given the islands' splendid beaches and scuba diving opportunities, tourism offers one possibility, but this is constrained by the lack of adequate infrastructure and the islands' remoteness.

Facts

    * Full name: Federated States of Micronesia

    * Population: 111,100 (UN, 2010)

    * Capital: Palikir

    * Area: 700 sq km (270 sq miles)

    * Major languages: English, Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean

    * Major religion: Christianity

    * Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 70 years (women) (UN)

    * Monetary unit: 1 US dollar = 100 cents

    * Main exports: Fish, garments, bananas, black pepper, copra

    * GNI per capita: US $2,700 (World Bank, 2010)

    * Internet domain: .fm

    * International dialling code: +691

Leaders

President: Emanuel "Manny" Mori

Emanuel "Manny" Mori was chosen as the country's seventh president in May 2007, and re-elected in May 2011.

The president is elected every four years by the congress.

Mr Mori is from Chuuk, the largest and most populous state in the four-state federation.

He was the executive vice president of the Bank of the Federated States of Micronesia from 1997 until his election as a senator in 1999. Apart from working as a banker he also worked in the civil service.

Mr Mori is of Japanese descent.

He is married and has four daughters.

From : BBC News