Preceded by Imata Kabua Role Member of Parliament Resigned January 14, 2008 Name Kessai Note Succeeded by Litokwa Tomeing | Religion Protestant Party United Democratic Party Political party UDP Spouse Mary Neimoj Yamamura | |
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Born 7 August 1950 (age 73)
Ailinglaplap, Ralik Chain, TTPI
(now Marshall Islands) ( 1950-08-07 ) Presidential term January 10, 2000 – January 14, 2008 | ||
Kessai Hesa Note (born August 7, 1950 in Ailinglaplap), was President of the Marshall Islands from 2000 to 2008.
Having served as Speaker of Parliament since 1988, he was elected President in 2000, and was the first commoner (rather than a traditional chief) to be elected to the Presidency. He is a member of the United Democratic Party, and was reelected by parliament in January 2004, receiving 20 votes, while Justin deBrum received 9.
On January 7, 2008, following the November 2007 general election, he was defeated in his bid for re-election in a vote of Parliament, receiving 15 votes against 18 for Litokwa Tomeing.
Note is of Japanese-Marshallese descent, having inherited his Japanese heritage from his paternal grandfather. Note's grandfather was a native of Niigata Prefecture, and settled in the Marshall Islands during the Japanese colonial era and married a Marshallese wife.