By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Benigno R. Fitial yesterday declined to say whether he has lost confidence in Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Clyde Norita, but he noted that the former lawmaker did not work well with the CPA board.
“I recommended him, but you know, he didn’t work that well with the board,” Fitial said in an interview.
Last week, Norita resigned over what he called the board’s micromanagement of the agency’s day-to-day operations.
Asked if he had lost confidence in Norita, the governor said nothing.
In an e-mail to Variety, Norita said he believes that the governor has not lost confidence in him.
Asked whether he plans to return to politics this year, Norita said, “I am not running for any office,” but he added that he is still with the Covenant Party.
A former deputy public safety commissioner, Norita served for two years in the House of Representatives before running for one of Saipan’s two open Senate seats in 2005 as the Covenant candidate. He finished a close third.
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the governor respects Norita’s decision and will leave it up to the board to name his replacement.
“Governor Fitial respects the CPA board as it is an autonomous agency and not under the direct control of his office. Though Mr. Norita was the governor’s recommendation, he leaves it up to the board as to his replacement,” Reyes said.
He said it is “untrue” that the governor had lost confidence in Norita.
“(Norita) did some good things in the beginning of this administration such as the cost-cutting he implemented at the agency which led to substantial savings in legal costs,” Reyes said.
However, he did say there were some “concerns” raised regarding Norita’s decisions.
These include the recent Palau aviation conference in which a number of people from CPA were allowed to participate; the new hires despite the governor’s call for a hiring freeze; the awarding of some contracts; and the issuance of cellular phones.
But Reyes said Norita’s “differences” with the board have been resolved.
“I think his differences with the board have already been settled and resolved,” Reyes said, adding that “whoever sits as executive director of CPA, what the governor wants is to see continuous progress at the agency.”