Marshall Islands President

Mr Kabua is a veteran politician and former cabinet minister who is the eldest son of founding president Amata Kabua.

He was reportedly seen as a presidential candidate who could bring rival candidates together as a middle-of-the-road leader acceptable to most factions.

Mr Kabua has previously held the health and internal affairs ministerial portfolios.

Hilda Heine lost the position after a vote was carried out during the first session of Parliament today after the November general election.

These were the words of Her excellency, President Dr Hilda Heine, of Republic of Marshall Islands during her keynote at the opening of the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in Fiji last night.

“We simply cannot afford to leave out, or in some cases exclude, half the population of our economies,” President Heine said.

“It is bad economic policy no matter which way you look at it.”

“The staggering imbalances in our economies between men and women clearly reflects why progressing gender equality has been slow.’