Nauru president

The promise to provide $US678,506 comes on the eve of the country's election.

Nauruans select a new parliament from 60 candidates standing for 19 seats on Saturday.

President Baron Waqa said the continued growth of the economy allowed the government to provide payments of up to US$6700 dollars for 734 Nauruans.

But most payouts will be between US$542 and US$1696.

The government said it had been prioritising those left in the most vulnerable situations by the collapse 13 years ago - people like widows, the disabled and seniors.

Waqa will attend a state banquet hosted by President Tsai Ing-wen and travel to Taichung to tour the city’s Flora Expo, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). He will also visit Kaohsiung to observe the city’s port and harbor construction.

Waqa last visited Taiwan on a transit stop in May 2018 after attending a meeting of Pacific Island leaders in Japan.

Shadlog Bernicke was the Minister in charge of the Nauru Royalties Trust, the Minister of Telecommunications and the Minister of Communications and Technology.

There has been no indication of why Mr Bernicke has been dumped, but a government official said it was with immediate effect.

President Baron Waqa has temporarily assumed the portfolios.

Baron Waqa held a meeting with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Raul Khajimba, and expressed a wish to intensify relations among the two ‘states.’

“I want to see your country as our best friend in this part of the world! I want to assure you that the people of Nauru know Abkhazia well, and consider Nauru as our friend. I am confident that we will have the opportunity to learn from you a lot. We want our relations to remain intense and forever lasting,” Waqa told Khajimba.

The State House is to be constructed at Cliff Lodge, which began as the home of the manager of the British Phosphate Commission and later became the residence of the manager of the Nauru Phosphate Corporation.

The government has leased the land from the 22 landowners for a 50-year period with a right of renewal.

The government's Nauru Bulletin said the island had not had a residence for its president for many years.

Photo: RNZI / Koro Vaka'uta Baron Waqa, President of Nauru 

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly today, President Waqa called on “friends and development partners to step up their assistance programmes.”

“Nauru's climate priorities fall into four categories: renewable energy, land rehabilitation, water security, and infrastructure proofing, and we are looking to build genuine and durable partnerships to achieve our objectives.”

It was the first official visit to Australia by a Nauruan President in more than 20 years.

Waqa, who was accompanied by his wife, Madam Louisa Waqa, met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and senior members of his cabinet during the visit, which included stops in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane.

As expected, the topic of the regional processing centre was raised in discussions with Turnbull, and President Waqa said he was confident the US-Australia deal would go ahead and some of the refugees on Nauru would be transferred to the United States.

Sprent Dabwido, who had his passport confiscated in August, just as he was set to depart for Australia to see a cardiologist, collapsed at Nauru hospital on Wednesday.

Mr Dabwido, who had served as an MP for 12 years, including two as president, is one of a number of now former MPs who had opposed the actions of the government and this is believed to have led to the cancellation of his passport.

On behalf of the Republic of Nauru, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Ambassador Peter Thompson on his assumption to the Presidency of the General Assembly.It is wonderful to see one of my   Pacific Island brothers at the helm.

Let me assure you of the full support of my delegation as you lead the important work of this august body.

I would also like to thank His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft for his exceptional work as our outgoing President.

Mr. President,

However, his government will look into the claims, Mr Baron Waqa told Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday (Aug 16).

Last week, The Guardian published more than 2,000 case reports detailing allegations of abuse faced by asylum seekers being processed by the Australian government on the remote Pacific Island of Nauru.

They include reported incidences of assaults, sexual assaults and self-harm - many involving children - between 2013 and 2015.