FORMER Lt. Gov. Jesus C. Borja says he welcomes the return of former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio to the Democratic Party, adding that the party can win elections only if it remains united.
“If the party is unified and can bring back all the supporters that it had in the past, then the Democratic Party will (once again) win elections,” Borja said.
He praised the party chairman, Larry DLG. Cabrera, for his efforts to foster unity and bring back its former members.
“I support Chairman Cabrera’s efforts to unify the party—that is the real important step and a step in the right direction,” Borja said.
The party, which first split in 1981, again divided into two factions in 1997. In 2001, Tenorio ran as the unsuccessful CNMI Reform Party gubernatorial candidate. Borja, for his part, was the losing Democratic standard bearer.
Last week, Tenorio told Variety that the CNMI Reform Party had dissolved and its members were returning to the Democratic Party.
“Hopefully he’d bring back a lot of supporters to the Democratic Party,” Borja said.
The former Supreme Court associate justice at the same time reiterated his intention to retire from politics.
Borja was Tenorio’s running mate in the 1993 elections which they won convincingly. In Dec. 1995, Tenorio said he would not seek a second term, adding that he was endorsing Borja to be the party’s candidate in the 1997 elections.
In early 1997, however, Tenorio said due to the “insistence” of his supporters, he would again run for office with Borja as his running mate.
But Borja said he had already made a commitment to his own supporters and would pursue his own candidacy. He asked the party to schedule a primary between him and Tenorio.
