“We support him,” Kara told the Variety after the conclusion of the bar association-sponsored forum for the gubernatorial candidates at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.
The CNMI Bar Association has about 300 active and inactive members.
Kara, an acting attorney general during the third term of former Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, said Buckingham’s role as leading attorney of the cash-strapped CNMI government is very difficult.
“It’s a very hard job. I wish him all the best,” said Kara.
Like Buckingham, she is also opposed to the idea of having an elected attorney general.
Although an appointed AG is beholden to the person who appointed him, Kara said an elected AG will further politicize the position.
She did not elaborate.
Ultimately, Kara said an AG will work based on his “ethical backbone” and not just because of the whims of those who appointed him.
Buckingham earned his law degree from the University of Denver.
Members of the legal community described him as methodical, a strategic thinker, goal-oriented and easy to deal with.
