Lazarus E. Salii

Palauan politician

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July 13, 2026

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Lazarus E. Salii was a Palauan politician who served as the second president of Palau. He was elected in August 1985 to complete the term of the first president, Haruo I. Remeliik, who was assassinated. Salii's own term was cut short when he died by suicide in August 1988.1

Palau is a country in the western Pacific Ocean consisting of about 340 islands. It was a member of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered by the United States, and officially became a sovereign state on October 1, 1994. The Palauan language is an Austronesian language spoken by about 14,000 people.12

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Palau
History
In August 1985 Lazarus E. Salii was elected to serve out the four-year term begun by Remeliik in January 1985, but Salii’s term was also cut short, when he committed suicide in August 1988. By the early 1990s, however, Palauan politics had stabilized.
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In August 1985 Lazarus E. Salii was elected to serve out the four-year term begun by Remeliik in January 1985, but Salii’s term was also cut short, when he committed suicide in August 1988. By the early 1990s, however, Palauan politics had stabilized.
Read More