By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

A GROUP of local residents is pushing for a legislative initiative that would require a runoff election for the offices of governor, lt. governor, resident representative to the U.S., mayor and senator.
The CNMI Enterprise Group said a runoff should take place in the event that candidates get less than a majority of the votes cast.
In their letter to Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, who was elected in a four-way race by garnering 28.1 percent of the total votes cast, the group said that it believes he will agree that the government of the CNMI, as a democratic institution, is based on rule by the majority of the governed.
The group said in order to ensure that only a candidate who has received a majority of the votes cast for that office is elected, it is necessary to have a runoff between the top two vote getters for an elected office, whenever none of the candidates for that officer garners a majority of the votes cast during the general election.
“Our group’s recommendation provides for such a run-off election because the CNMI Constitution inadvertently fails to provide it,” the group’s facilitator, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Jose S. Dela Cruz, said.
During the group’s discussions, members said that in the past general elections for commonwealth-wide offices, some of the candidates elected have assumed office based on their garnering only a “plurality of the votes cast” during the general election.
They cited the 1997, 2001 and 2005 gubernatorial polls.
“The reason for this plurality election practice is the absence of any requirement in the NMI Constitution that a candidate for a Commonwealth-wide and senatorial district-wide public office must receive a majority of the votes cast in the general poll in order to be elected to such office,” the group said, adding that because the Constitution is silent on the question of whether a majority of votes is required in order to be elected to a high office, and the lack of public interest, the “plurality election” practice continues in the CNMI.
“Elected leaders who do not receive a majority votes cast do not have a mandate from the majority of the people they are representing, contrary to democratic principles of governance,” the group stated.
The group wants the runoff be held no later than two weeks after the election commission has officially declared that no candidate has received a majority of the votes cast for that office.
The CNMI Enterprise Group recommends that the 15th Legislature pass a legislative initiative to be placed before the voters of the commonwealth at the next general election in November.
Some of the members of the group are former Commonwealth Ports Authority Carlos H. Salas, former Judge Edward Manibusan, Community Guidance Center Director Josephine T. Sablan, Norman T. Guerrero, former Northern Marianas College President Agnes M. McPhetres, former Lt. Gov. Jesus C. Borja, Board of Education member Herman T. Guerrero, and Brenda Y. Tenorio.
Meanwhile, Press Secretary Charles Reyes Jr. said Governor Fitial is not likely to oppose any democratic vote on an important constitutional question.
“He is open to other legislative initiatives calling for a public vote on important constitutional questions, including the land lease initiatives backed by SEDC,” Reyes said, adding that the CNMI, however, may have more pressing economic priorities right now.