Koror- Palau President Tommy Remengesau announced Wednesday his intention to step down from politics after his term ends in 2020.
Although he says there is more work to be done, this will be the first time Remengesau will take time off from politics.
The president, who will turn 63 in February, has spent most of his career in politics starting as a senator when he was only 28 years old. In 2013, when his term ended in 2008 as a president, instead of retiring from politics he ran and won as a senator.
“ I am not running for anything in 2020. I intend to hang up my hat and be the fisherman I always wanted to be,” Remengesau told reporters.
He vowed to be a productive citizen of Palau come 2020. The next presidential election is scheduled for Nov. 2020.
President Remengesau Jr. was a two-term senator from (1984-1992); Vice President from 1992- 2000; Palau President (2001-2008), Senator (2009-2012), and President again from 2013 until his second term as president which will end in 2020.
Thus, the president has a three-decade-long career in Palauan politics which he said would end in 2020.
Until then, Remengesau urged the leaders of Palau to continue working with him until his term ends.
“For now, for the next three years. I hope we can work as a country, as leaders and get a lot of things done,” Remengesau stated.