Resigned August 20, 1988 | Name Lazarus Salii Role Politician | |
Presidential term October 25, 1985 – August 20, 1988 | ||
Succeeded by Thomas Remengesau, Sr. | ||
Lazarus Eitaro Salii (17 November 1936 – 20 August 1988) was a politician from Palau. He served as the fourth President of Palau from 25 October 1985 until he committed suicide on 20 August 1988, amid bribery allegations.
Salii was involved in the Palau Constitutional Convention of 1978. After the Constitution took effect in 1981, he became an ambassador until 1984, when he became a senator, representing Koror in the Palau National Congress.
When President Haruo Remeliik was assassinated on 30 June 1985, Salii was elected in August to finish his term of office (although Thomas Remengesau and then Alfonso Oiterong served in the interim). Following his suicide by shooting in 1988, he was succeeded by Vice President Remengesau as president for the remainder of his term, followed by Ngiratkel Etpison as the fifth president.