The event, established in 2003, is sponsored annually by the NMI Council for the Humanities in conjunction with the National Forensic League of the Western Pacific.
This year’s Covenant Day debate topic is on whether voting on matters pertaining to Article XII should be restricted to persons of Northern Marianas descent.
Article XII of the CNMI Constitution states that “the acquisition of permanent and long-term interests in real property within the Commonwealth shall be restricted to persons of Northern Marianas descent.”
In the junior division, 7th-8th grades, Kanata Omori of Marianas Baptist Academy argued for the affirmative side, while Hye Young Oh, also of MBA, argued for the negative.
Omori cited his interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, and said only persons of a certain nation can vote on the issues of that nation.
But Oh said restricting voting rights to people of NMI descent only would be unfair to people of other races, since all citizens in the CNMI are affected by Article XII.
Both displayed an impressive show of professionalism and intellect, but Oh managed to come out as the victor.
In the senior division, 9th-12th grades, Marianas Baptist Academy’s Jessica Lee argued for the negative while Saipan International School’s Amber Roberts argued for the affirmative.
Roberts said those of NMI descent have more at stake culturally, and that the local people will suffer economically if Article XII is abolished.
Lee argued that having only those of NMI descent vote on Article XII would be a violation of the U.S.
Constitution’s Preamble, as well as the 14th and 15th Amendments.
Roberts was adjudged the winner of the debate.
One of the judges, Northern Marianas College dean of student services Leo Pangelinan, said “all of the debaters were very impressive. I’d also like to see more participants next year.”
After the results were announced, Oh said she was “speechless.”
“The decision was surprising,” said Roberts. “It certainly was a close call. My opponent did great and she really got her points across.”
The other judges were Deputy Labor Secretary Cinta M. Kaipat and DFS Galleria president Marian Aldan-Pierce.
The Covenant, the U.S. public law that made the islands part of America, allows the CNMI to reconsider the issue of land alienation in 2011.
