It will cost the cash-strapped government some $11,000 to rent a chopper that will transport and retrieve the ballots for the estimated four voters still residing in the Northern Islands.
The over 60 other voters now live on Saipan.
On Jan. 29, the Supreme Court vacated the order of the local trial court declaring Covenant Party’s Ramona T. Rebuenog as the election winner.
Rebuenog lost by just a vote against Independent candidate Tobias Dela Cruz Aldan who got 69 votes in the Nov. 7 elections.
Rebuenog asked for a recount, which re-affirmed Aldan’s victory.
Rebuenog then brought her case to Superior Court, which, after disqualifying some voters, declared her the winner by a two-vote margin.
But the Supreme Court overturned the trial court’s order.
The governor said the justices’ order essentially mandates a special election.
“Article VI, Section 2 (b) of the CNMI Constitution mandates that a vacancy in the Office of the Mayor shall be filled by a special election if one half or more of the term remains and otherwise provided by law…and such order has left that office vacant for the complete term of five years for that office whereby requiring that such vacancy in the Office of the Mayor be filled by a special election,” the governor said in his proclamation.
