Introduced by Rep. Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, H.L.B. 17-6 stated that the provision in Article III, Section 8 of the CNMI Constitution should also apply to the rule in designating an acting mayor.
Current law allows the Saipan mayor to designate who will be the acting mayor whenever the mayor is physically absent from the island.
Under the CNMI Constitution, the lt. governor becomes the acting governor when the governor is physically absent from the commonwealth, and if the lt. governor is also absent then the presiding officer of the Senate will be the acting governor.
According to Ogumoro’s bill, whenever the mayor of Saipan is physically absent then the chair of the municipal council will be the acting mayor.
Ogumoro said this should also apply to the Northern Islands which are “geographically located within the third senatorial district,” like Saipan.
Diaz said it would be an “insult” to the municipal council if a non-elected official will act as acting mayor in case the mayor is physically absent from the island.
