Tebuteb described the GOP’s July 8 meeting “unofficial,” saying it did not comply with the party by-laws.
In that meeting, former Gov. Juan N. Babauta was elected president and 1,000 Covenant Party members were accepted into the GOP.
Tenorio, in a letter to Tebuteb, said the lawmaker’s concerns are “moot.”
Tenorio reminded Tebuteb that in 2005, party officers and members supported “an individual” who ran as an independent against the Republican candidate in the general elections.
This support did not comply with the party by-laws, he added.
In 2005, the GOP broke with tradition and decided not to hold a gubernatorial primary and instead endorsed Babauta as its candidate.
Then-Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider, who wanted to run in the GOP primary, bolted the primary and ran as an Independent. He lost by 84 votes to the Covenant Party’s Benigno R. Fitial. Babauta placed third in the four-way race and the local GOP suffered its worst election defeat in CNMI history.
In 2009, Hofschneider defeated Babauta in the GOP primary but lost to Fitial in the runoff by 370 votes.
Babauta and other prominent Republicans supported Fitial.
Tenorio, a Babauta ally, said in the past no executive committee was created to carry out the mandates of the by-laws.
Tenorio said “this blatant action was unanimously approved by the silent action of former board members, officers and sitting elected officials and party members.”
He said he does not remember any of the prior and current sitting Republicans in the House of Representatives or Senate complaining about this “blatant disregard of the by-laws.”
“I am disheartened that you have raised this issue now and not then. I wonder why?” Tenorio said in his letter to Tebuteb.
