“At the same time, it’s a very ambiguous question. You know it takes two to tango,” Inos told the Variety.
Guam Sen. Judith M. Guthertz and Saipan Rep. Joseph M. Palacios have introduced separate bills for a nonbinding reunification plebiscite.
According to Inos, “I don’t know if Guam residents will see the military buildup as something that will entice the CNMI to opt for a reunification.”
Guam and the NMI were separated in 1898 after the former was ceded by Spain to the United States while the Northern Marianas was sold to Germany.
Japan took over the NMI in 1914 and administered it until 1944.
Inos said the reunification proposal is very vague because it does not offer anything specific.
“There are still a lot of kinks (that should be ironed out). What’s the arrangement going to be (for both islands)? There are a lot of questions. I think in the end, the people will have to decide on that,” the lt. governor told the Variety.
In 1969, Guam voters rejected reunification which their counterparts in the NMI supported.
