There are about nine Senate legislative initiatives that have been transmitted to the House.
One of these initiatives from the upper chamber is S.L.I. 16-9 which is authored by Sen. Luis P. Crisostimo, D-Saipan.
The Crisostimo initiative aims to amend Article XII, Section 3 of the CNMI Constitution to extend the number of years of land leasehold of private lands in the commonwealth from 55 years to 80 years.
“Such change will revive the real estate market,” Crisostimo said. “The longer lease period will facilitate banking and other lending institutions in funding major development loans… and enhance business opportunities.”
The senator said he has introduced the said initiative with the old provision during the 14th and 15 Legislature but the lawmakers did not act on it.
Sen. Paul A. Manglona, R-Rota, said he will not withdraw his proposed amendment on House Bill 16-112 until the House acted on the land leasehold initiative.
Rep. Diego T. Benavente, R-Saipan, authored HB 16-112 which recognizes that the delegate election on Nov. 4, 2008 is a CNMI regular election.
Manglona, however, amended the bill.
The Rota senator wants the delegate election considered a “special election.”
This means that all pending legislative and popular initiatives will have to wait until the Nov. 2009 elections before they can be placed on the ballot for ratification.
Sablan is advocating for the placement on the ballot of the Open Government Act initiative which she and a group of volunteers have been lobbying for.
Manglona authored the Open Government Act.
Sablan describes the senator’s move as “political gamesmanship.”
He said the Senate should stop playing political games and instead call for a joint conference to resolve the Senate and the House’s differences.
“We need the delegate election be held in a general election,” she said, adding that the “legislators should look into the merits of the initiatives” that will be affected by Manglona’s amendment.
She said she is willing to put Article XII on the ballot if only to accommodate Manglona’s wish.
“But I don’t think all initiatives should be held hostage,” Sablan said.
