ONE wonders how come we have elected our representatives in the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia and they turned around and passed legislation that jeopardized our rights? They did not only enact laws but allowed such actions to practice discrimination! Who gave them the authority to play around with our rights to express our choices in casting our votes for which we believe will represent us, the Chuukese eligible voters in the CNMI? Why would we be casting our votes differently from the other fellow FSM citizens overseas? Why making it so hard on us Chuukese in the CNMI to vote, but make it easier for those who live in other places like Guam and Hawaii?
Yes, all FSM eligible voter-citizens in CNMI have to cast their votes by mail! Ballots already received by mail have discrepancies attached. An example: some voters have claimed to receive more than one ballot. Another voter claimed to have received his ballot with wrong candidates. Why now? Why only us? Are we the second class citizens of the FSM? Or do they, the members of the FSM Congress, have the right to manipulate people’s rights to vote? Members of the Chuukese community in the CNMI, including myself, are very concerned and disappointed for such actions, especially the elimination of Saipan as an absentee special polling place and the override of the FSM P.L. 14-98 that allows EXTRA, EXTRA, LONG DAYS election for Guam and Hawaii.
Necessary CHANGES in the FSM leadership should be considered in the elections on March 6, 2007.
I thought all of them are political scientists — yet they are defeating themselves in upcoming elections, now and in the future! Yes, they are definitely jeopardizing our rights to vote!

MITHASY MARK
Chalan Kanoa, Saipan