By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

A REPUBLICAN House member not seeking re-election is defending the GOP Precinct 1 club’s decision not to nominate a known top vote-getter over a failure to submit his bio-data.
Rep. Benjamin B. Seman, R-Saipan, said former Rep. David M. Apatang should have complied with “a very simple requirement.”
He blames Apatang for “disqualifying himself” by not submitting his bio-data.
Seman said the precinct officers want to treat everybody equally.
“Now if you miss the plane, you miss the flight,” he said.
Seman also questioned the GOP board of directors’ “interference” with the precinct clubs that were earlier given the authority to choose candidates.
He noted that incumbent Rep. Martin B. Ada was not nominated by the GOP Precinct 1 club either, “Why they are concerned only with Apatang?”
Ada has been aligned with the ruling Covenant Party since the 15th House members were sworn in last year.
Apatang, who has topped previous House elections in Precinct 1, was the running mate of former Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider in the 2005 elections.
The two bolted the GOP after its leadership decided that the party, for the first time in its history, would not hold a gubernatorial primary.
Seman backed the GOP’s official candidates, the Babauta-Benavente ticket, which finished third in a four-way race — the worst election defeat of a Republican slate in CNMI history.
Last December, Hofschneider and Apatang rejoined the party upon the invitation of the BB camp for the sake of “unity.”
Apatang, in an interview yesterday, said he is puzzled by his exclusion but added “it’s fine with me.”
He said since the Variety report came out about his exclusion from the list of candidates, he has been getting calls from a lot supporters.
He said all he could tell them was “just wait and see,”
Apatang said he has yet to talk with the Precinct 1 club chairwoman, former Rep. Ana S. Teregeyo.