By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE Republican Party’s board of directors is set to meet today with the two Saipan senatorial aspirants to discuss a selection process that the party hopes will be the “most appropriate diplomatic option,” according to party president Thomas B. Pangelinan.
Rep. Stanley T. Torres and former Rep. Benjamin A. Sablan are the two Republicans vying for the GOP’s Saipan senatorial nomination.
The party has three options —ask the aspirants who between them would be willing to step down and join the party’s House slate for Precinct 3; hold an open primary, as was the practice in the past; or let the board and precinct club officers select the candidate.
Pangelinan confirmed that he met with the Precinct 1 club officers and their six House candidates on Friday.
He said they discussed the possibility of former Rep. David M. Apatang’s inclusion on the slate.
“We wanted to develop a dialogue that will approach the issues as diplomatically and painlessly as possible,” Pangelinan said.
He admitted that the GOP board tried to convince one of the six selected Precinct 1 candidates to step down in the interests of party unity.”
But, he added, Apatang reiterated his respect for the Precinct 1 club’s selection of candidates.
Apatang, he said, vowed not to interfere with the precinct club’s decision.
Pangelinan said party members should continue to work as a team to reach the goal of re-capturing majorities in both houses of the Legislature.