Julita Villagomez, acting executive director of the commission, said the commissioners certified the following as delegate candidates:
• Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio, GOP;
• On-leave Election Commission Executive Director Gregorio C. Sablan, Ind.;
• Sen. Luis P. Crisostimo, Ind.;
• former Judge Juan T. Lizama, Ind.;
• Public Lands mining division chief and TV talk show host John Oliver DLR. Gonzales, Ind.;
• Businessman Chong Won, Ind.;
• Former Tinian Sen. David Cing, Democratic Party;
• Teacher John Davis, Ind.; and,
• Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council member Felipe Atalig, Ind.
Villagomez said the commission will issue a resolution certifying these candidates as part of the election process.
She said the commission will not ask elected officials to resign ahead of the Nov. 4 delegate election, saying the autonomous agency was advised by the Attorney General’s Office that this rule is beyond their jurisdiction.
Tenorio, Crisostimo and Atalig are incumbent elected officials.
None of them have turned in their resignation thus far.
Villagomez said in Tenorio’s case it seems that a resignation is unnecessary as his office is mandated to be abolished once the CNMI delegate office is officially established on Jan. 3, 2009.
As for Crisostimo, she said the Senate will have to deal with it.
Just like other U.S. lawmakers, the elected CNMI delegate will be paid close to $170,000 annually.
Delegates can introduce bills and participate in committee deliberations but they are not allowed to vote on the floor.
The CNMI is the last U.S. jurisdiction to be granted a delegate seat in the U.S. Congress and was made possible through the enactment on May 8, 2008 of the federalization law.
A candidate for the delegate election must be at least 25 years of age on the date of the election; a U.S. citizen for at least seven years prior to the election; a resident of the commonwealth for at least seven years; qualified to vote in the commonwealth; and not a candidate for any other public office on the date of the election.
