Deputy Attorney General Greg Baka said this year’s election is “not appropriate” for the initiative but added that the election commission should validate the petitions’ signatures.
According to Baka, the November election is not considered a “regular” one by the CNMI Constitution.
The initiative’s main proponent Rep. Tina Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, said they have submitted to the AG’s Office 2,500 signatures in May and an additional 295 were turned over on Friday.
Sablan and other supporters of the initiative have 10 days to gather more signatures to meet the 20 percent registered voters’ requirement under the NMI Constitution should the election commission invalidates any of the current 2,795 signatures.
“A lot depends on the commission’s review,’ she said.
“The attorney general is required to certify whether or not this requirement has been met…but the Commonwealth Election Commission is the agency with the qualified voters’ signed affidavits of registration,” Baka said in a letter to the commission.
He added, “Given the fact that [the signatures] were collected last year…it is more important than usual to ensure the signers are still registered to vote.”
