Micronesia, Federated States of - Leadership

In his Inaugural Speech, Falcam stressed responsible leadership as a means to bringing about social empowerment for his people. He also highlighted the importance of retaining a Micronesian identity while trying not to become isolationist in nature. His first goal in office was to establish an administration that the citizens of FSM could trust that could guide its people to prosperity. Development efforts were to be conducted through state planning and National Economic Summits in which both the public and private sectors could participate. His style has been open and active. During his first year in office, he criticized the UN for implementing the Barbados Program of Action too slowly and for putting small island states into one generic category. He also wielded his veto power on a US $6.75 million annual budget appropriations bill in October of 1999 because he desired that the money be used for "highest priority projects from each State's Public Sector Investment Program." FSM government officials had a history of corruption that President Falcam hoped to end, and the bill was more than US $650,000 over budget. On 31 January 2000, Congress went ahead and passed the bill over Falcam's objections, putting his domestic influence into question.