By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

KAGMAN voters who, for the first time, will get direct representation in the CNMI House of Representatives want lawmakers with a strong sense of leadership, proven commitment and accomplishments.
Kagman has nine candidates for its two House seats. Some are incumbent lawmakers, some are from the business sector, one is an educator, one a lawyer, one has a military background and one started his political career by staging a road-side protest.
Officers of the Kagman Komunidat Association told Variety how their members , who are among the village’s 3,000 voters, view the nine Precinct 5 candidates.
A majority of residents in Kagman, according to Kagman Komunidat president Betty Ann Cabrera, are low-income local people.
Cabrera said Kagman residents are pleased that all the Precint 5 House candidates attended the public forum they conducted to weeks ago at the Kagman Community Center where the candidates fielded questions from residents.
She said residents had concerns about high utility rates, government doctors leaving the island, and the economic crisis in the CNMI.
Kagman residents, Cabrera said, believe that “it’s always good for a candidate to have shown commitment in the past and had a lot of real accomplishments.”
Kagman Komunidat secretary Brittney Bundy said that while some of the candidates made the usual campaign promises, others were honest enough not to be too optimistic about solving the CNMI’s problems.
Kagman Komunidat public relations officer Jessie Torres said the Kagman community needs “an activist-like representative who is not afraid to speak for the people and definitely one who will challenge other lawmakers.”
He said they have had enough of lawmakers “who just sit in the House and listen to other lawmakers talking.”