112707 PUBLICATION

112707 PUBLICATION

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Sablan: Local law will apply to NMI congressional delegate poll

By Emmanuel T. Erediano Variety News Staff

CURRENT commonwealth election law will apply to the election of the CNMI’s first nonvoting delegate seat to the U.S. Congress.

The U.S. congressional bill extending federalization law to the islands and creating a CNMI delegate seat is expected to become law before the federal elections in November.

Commonwealth Election Commission Executive Director, Gregorio Sablan said the election of the CNMI congressional delegate will be considered a local election for a federal office.

The candidates’ statements of accounts this time will be reported to federal authorities and not to the local election commission.

“We have been looking into this for sometime now and if the (federalization law) becomes law, the election for the CNMI delegate will coincide with the federal elections on Nov. 4.”

He said it is up to the political parties to decide whether to hold primaries or not.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Complying with one's 'transparency platform'

Letters to the Editor
Friday, December 28, 2007



Mrs. Hunter, let me start by greeting you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and thank you for the additional tips dated Dec. 25, 2007 because it clarified what Tina Sablan meant about being a “renter.” Most of you suggest that the “TTT” (an abbreviation created by your group) is akin to the Klu Klux Klan and marks our organization as being racist. Let me give all of you some education concerning racism here in the CNMI. Whenever a local stands up and confronts and addresses issues of public affairs affecting our people and detrimental to our well-being, most of you run and hide behind the color of your skins and call us locals racist. The mere fact that a common ordinary person is challenging your propaganda here in our homeland, influencing our generations with your so-called westernized type of democracy in our society, is annoying all of you. Get real, Mrs. Hunter! And welcome to the real world. Oh, and make sure you correctly use “TTCAI” or “TT”.

We do agree that it is none of anyone's business concerning one's private information but it was Tina Sablan who was requesting to see what our lawmakers had to hide, wanting to see the inside of their wallets. Yet she doesn't comply with her own platform. What does she have to hide? We believe that it is Tina Sablan who owes the people of Precinct 1 and the people of the CNMI an apology for deceiving all of us by concentrating on her self-righteous agenda, disrespecting the majority of the indigenous population here in our homeland, especially Precinct 1. Ms. Sablan hasn't been sworn into office and already she wants to amend a law that would address balancing employment here in the CNMI for our local workforce who have been discarded and left to feed off NAP as a way of living.

Ms. Sablan's revelation on her “technical escape” from a law that opened a window for candidates to switch precincts on the fly does not sit well with other candidates who took their time and effort to meet with their precinct constituents. Ms. Sablan's “ last minute ”decision to move to Fina Sisu does not seem to fit the role model candidate who gets to know her constituents, visits them and really find out what she can do for her precinct as a public servant. Instead, Ms. Sablan prefers to gallivant with constituents of another country who are in an indentured servitude to our island. How can you possibly get to know the people in your precinct if you had only lived there for two months? Why are they asking questions about your residency? Because they don't know who you are! Remember you're a renter, meaning not a permanent resident. We don't believe that you actually took the time to find out if your precinct had water or sewage problems. Did you speak to people young and old about their needs and in ways you can help them? No, Ms. Sablan, you drove your car from your apartment, passing all the homes of the people who trusted you, believed in you, and most especially voted for you.

As an elected official, we do believe that you have an inherent responsibility to represent the wishes of the majority that put you in office. If Ms. Sablan has a conscience, she should be feeling guilty by now.

Greg Cruz
Taotao Tano CNMI

LETTER SENT TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Gregorio Sablan

LETTER SENT TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Gregorio Sablan
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Directors Response to OGA (pg1 of 2)

Directors Response to OGA (pg1 of 2)
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Directors Response to OGA (pg2 of 2)

Directors Response to OGA (pg2 of 2)
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