Rebuenog presided a meeting at the governor’s residence last week and “intimidated and harassed some government employees that their contracts will not be renewed,” the Commonwealth Election Commission was told by some Northern Islands voters during its meeting yesterday.
Rebuenog is running against Independent candidate Tobias Dela Cruz Aldan for the March 27, 2010 special election.
“We too were very surprised. We were blind-sided,” Election Commission Chairwoman Frances Sablan said, referring to Fitial’s proclamation on Friday regarding the schedule of the special election.
It was not mentioned by Fitial’s proclamation if a caretaker would be named for the Northern Islands mayor’s office since the post is vacant as of the moment.
“But I know [Rebuenog is] still doing business at the [new] mayor’s office [on Capital Hill],” a resident told the election commission.
Rebeunog did not answer the phone calls of this reporter, while a staffer from the Northern Islands mayor’s office did not return the Variety’s call.
The Fitial administration had yet to return a call of this reporter.
The Office of the Public Auditor had also not responded to the inquiries of this reporter.
A Northern Islands resident, who declined to be identified, said the timing of Fitial’s special election proclamation was “highly suspect” considering that Rebuenog called for meeting of government employees prior to the announcement.
The last day of voter registration was the next day, Saturday.
“Mrs. Rebuenog is on top of everything. Are we talking here of five years? We’re already suffering,” a resident told the election commissioners.
“It’s not [the commission’s] fight,” Assistant Attorney General Meaghan Hassel-Shearer told the residents.
She and the commission told the residents that they could bring their concerns to the Office of the Public Auditor regarding voter intimidation.
The commission at the same time said the Office of the Governor should inform Rebuenog to cease and desist from acting as Northern Islands mayor.
Some of the residents told the commission they were surprised to learn that the last day of voter registration was on Saturday.
The residents said there was no public education about it.
Another resident told the commission that the four voters from Agrihan “are already here [on Saipan].”
Election Commission Executive Director Robert Guerrero said $11,495.90 was needed to hire a chopper to bring the ballots to the four voters on Agrihan.
The commission said it is coordinating with the CNMI Emergency Management Office to determine the number of residents currently living in the Northern Islands.
An election commission staffer noted that the payment to the chopper is the funding equivalent of the commission’s two-month operations.
As to possible future challenges due to the abrupt deadline of the voter registration for the special election, Hassel-Shearer told a resident that “there’s no guarantee about everything.”
“Rest assured that [the commission will] make the best of the situation,” Sablan told the residents.
“We remain focused to perform as stipulated in the proclamation. The proclamation dictated us to conduct the special election. We are to safeguard a fair and smooth election,” Sablan told reporters after the meeting.
The following is the timeline for the Northern Islands special election, according to Fitial’s proclamation:
• Feb. 5, 2010, first day for submission of nominating petitions and candidacy documents, and first day for request for absentee ballots.
• Feb. 6, last day for voter registration.
• Feb. 19, last day for submission of nominating petitions and candidacy documents.
• Feb. 22, last day for election commission’s action on nominating petitions and candidacy documents.
• Feb. 27, last day for application to vote in another municipality.
• March 1, last day for absentee voting applications.
• March 12, designation of polling places by the commission.
• March 20, posting/distribution of specimen ballots.
• March 26, last day for absentee voting for emergency absence.
• March 27, election day.
• April 11, removal of all campaign materials.
• May 15, last day for submission of campaign financial disclosure reports.
