Bill To Legalize Gambling On Palau Vetoed
Published on Friday, November 28, 2003 5:49:47 PM
KOROR, Palau -- President Tommy Remengesau yesterday vetoed a hotly debated bill that would legalize gambling on a small, southern main island here.
"We are not desperate for reasons for people to come to Palau," Remengesau said at a press conference announcing his vetoes of the casino bill and a controversial bill concerning banking law changes.
The president said Palau has worked hard to develop its image as a destination with a smattering of pristine, mostly uninhabited islands that offers world-class ecotourism and a country rich in culture. And a casino would jeopardize that image, he said.
Remengesau added that Palau is a Christian nation that does not want to attract the social ills he believes come in tow with casinos, nor does the country want to imprint the principles of easy money on its children.
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