Fitial, joined department heads, government officials and political supporters in accompanying the ruling Covenant Party’s U.S. delegate candidate, Joseph Norita Camacho, who filed his candidacy with the Commonwealth Election Commission yesterday morning.
In an interview, Fitial said he had not seen the letter from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar defending the department’s recommendation.
Fitial wrote Salazar a letter in May, asking Interior to withdraw the report that the department submitted to Congress.
The governor said the CNMI will ask Congress to reject Interior’s recommendation.
“I don’t think the U.S. Congress will be that gullible…to [accept Interior’s report],” Fitial said.
He reiterated that the report was “not well thought out” and that he was never consulted by Interior during its drafting.
Fitial said he respects Interior’s stand on the issue, but he doubts Congress will take action on the department’s recommendation.
According to the governor, the CNMI’s indigenous people have to organize themselves and relay to the U.S. Congress their “strong opposition” to the report.
