Peter M. Christian

In this article, the surname is Souissa, his Moluccan patronymic surname.
His Excellency
Peter M. Christian
8th President of the Federated States of Micronesia
In office
11 May 2015 – 11 May 2019
Vice PresidentYosiwo George
Preceded byManny Mori
Succeeded byDavid W. Panuelo
Speaker of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia
In office
12 May 2003 – 11 May 2007
Preceded byJack Fritz
Succeeded byIsaac Figir
Personal details
Born
Peter Martin Christian Souissa

(1947-10-16) 16 October 1947 (age 77)
Pohnpei, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
(now Micronesia)
Political partyIndependent
SpouseMaurina Weilbacher
Alma materUniversity of Hawaii, Manoa

Peter Martin Christian Souissa (born 16 October 1947) is a Micronesian politician who served as the 8th President of the Federated States of Micronesia, from 11 May 2015 to 11 May 2019.

Peter Martin Christian was among the first fourteen persons to be elected to the first Congress in 1979. He served as the Speaker of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia from May 2003 to May 2007.[1] He was elected as a senator in 2007 representing Pohnpei at-large and re-elected in 2011.[2] He served as the Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Communication during his 2007 term in Congress.[3]

In March 2019, Christian lost the election to become the at-large senator for Pohnpei. Under Micronesian law, the president is chosen from among the four at-large members. As a result, Christian effectively lost his bid for re-election to the presidency.[4] Some sources[5][6] attributed the loss to a scandal surrounding the indictment in Hawaii of Christian's son-in-law, Master Halbert, an official in the FSM's Department of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure, for receiving bribes.[7]

Christian has Moluccan blood ties. He is the third generation of a family from Haria, Maluku in Indonesia.[8]

  1. ^ "President Christian". www.fsmpio.fm. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Seventeenth Congress of the FSM Elects the President and Vice President of the FSM". www.fsmpio.fm (Press release). Palikir, Pohnpei. 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Halbert new speaker of FSMs' Eighteenth Congress". Public Information Center (Press release). Palikir, Pohnpei: Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia. 11 May 2013. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  4. ^ Ngirairikl, Oyaol (14 March 2019). "FSM President Christian loses bid for re-election". The Guam Daily Post. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  5. ^ Toves, Jolene. "FSM president likely to lose seat". PNC News First. Pacific News Center. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  6. ^ Daranciang, Nelson (22 March 2019). "Micronesian official to plead guilty in bribery scandal". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Top 10 International Anti-Corruption Developments for February 2019". JD Supra. Morrison & Foerster LLP. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Jokowi Appreciates Peter Christian Commitment to Respect Indonesia Territorial Integrity". Lelemuku.com. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.