In an interview yesterday, Fitial said it would be good for the people of the CNMI to get together and consider what has been taking place so far, with regards to the relationship between the islands and the U.S.
“We feel that our Covenant has been attacked by the U.S. government for many years now,” Fitial said.
The CNMI people, he said should now try to see if they still want to continue the current relationship with the U.S., or seek to modify some of the Covenant’s terms and conditions.
“I just want the people to look at the Covenant and see if they are satisfied with the relationship we have with the U.S,” he added.
According to the governor, a former Republican, the reason they named their new party after the Covenant in 2001 is because of their strong belief in “the sanctity of the Covenant and that it should be respected.”
He still believes that the Covenant provides the basic tools needed to develop the islands’ economy.
He urged members of the young generation to not only learn about the Covenant in the classrooms but to also look at the developments that have taken place so far with respect to the CNMI’s relationship with the U.S.
Fitial opposed the extension of federal immigration law to the islands, but the Covenant allows the U.S. to do so.
He filed a lawsuit to challenge the federalization law, but the federal court dismissed it last November.
Protect it
Fitial said he wants closer ties with the U.S., but as the leader of the commonwealth he should also “protect the Covenant.”
He added, “All we need is to continue to respect one another pursuant to the Covenant.”
But, he said, “we cannot deny the fact that the federal government is not looking at the Covenant the way we are looking at it. And that seems to create the problem between us with respect to our relationship. As long as we have respect for each other, the balance will be maintained.”
The federal government, he said, “should help us and not punish us. But the way things are going on right now, it’s like we are getting more punishment than assistance.”
A lot of things to celebrate
For three lawmakers, today is an opportunity to appreciate what the Covenant has provided to the CNMI and to celebrate the islands’ unique relationship with the U.S.
Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, said there are a lot of things to celebrate about the Covenant.
These include U.S. citizenship, federal grants and being part of the strongest nation in the world, he added.
The Covenant has given the CNMI people many reasons to celebrate its existence every year, he said.
Setting aside the issue of the federalization law, Reyes said the Covenant was the instrument that brought everything together for the CNMI.
He noted that the Covenant is an agreement between the islands and the U.S.
“Whenever you take something, you have to give something,” he said.
Sen. Ralph DLG. Torres, R-Saipan, said today is an opportunity “to appreciate what we have received” through the Covenant.
He noted, however, that the federalization law was enacted by the U.S. without giving the CNMI people the opportunity to vote on it.
“Now we just have to appreciate what we have here and hold on to each other, to unify and speak in one voice,” he said.
Revisit the Covenant
He is in favor of re-opening the discussions on the Covenant.
“Now that the time has changed and there are issues coming up, we should have to renegotiate on what is best for the people of the CNMI,” Torres said.
But he also believes that the CNMI is a part of the U.S. “and it’s not going to be anything other than that.”
Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, said Commonwealth Covenant Day allows the people to remember the good decisions that have happened in the past.
“It is very healthy that we are reminded of the significance of this day,” he added.
He said it is very important to remind the community, especially the students, about the enduring significance of the Covenant.
“We got U.S. citizenship and national defense has been extended here to our islands for our protection. We need to reflect on the Covenant so we can always think about where we stand today, where we were in the past and where we can be in the future,” he said.
