Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said the CNMI looks forward to establishing good working relations with President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration.
“I congratulate President-elect Obama and I look forward to establishing good working relationships with his new administration,” said the governor in a statement.
“I am optimistic that Obama’s victory will lead to positive change for the people of the CNMI, given President-elect Obama’s history and relationships with the people of Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.
Fitial described Obama’s election as a “stunning electoral victory in the United States.”
Obama’s father was from Kenya, and he spent his childhood and teenage years in Hawaii, raised by his grandmother who passed away on the eve of the presidential election.
Many local people interviewed by this reporter said they were happy that Obama won.
They said islanders have a different culture and way of life.
“Obama knows the island lifestyle. He can relate to where we are coming from so in that sense I think he would be sympathetic to island communities,” said an Obama supporter who asked not to be named as his family is staunchly Republican.
Manuel Sablan, the chairman of the local Democratic Party, said Obama’s victory is a very important milestone in the American political system.
He said Obama will be facing a lot of challenges in his presidency.
“I hope he could deliver what he promised. [Obama] is going to be facing a lot of financial problems what with the Wall Street meltdown and the billions of dollars in bailout packages,” he said.
Ed Tenorio, the president of the local Republican Party, said the people of the CNMI extend their congratulations to Obama.
“President-elect Obama is very eloquent and charismatic. He came in very, very strong as predicted by different polls. Like anybody else, we have to give him our congratulations,” said Tenorio.
He added: “We hope that we can work very closely with his new administration. This is the first time in our history to have a delegate in the U.S. Congress.”
Rep. Tina Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, said Obama’s victory restored her sense of optimism for the future of the nation and the world.
“I was overjoyed and deeply moved by Barack Obama’s victory,” she told Variety in an e-mail.
“His election is a milestone for the nation in so many ways, and one that clearly signals not only how far the American people have come, but also how deeply we all yearn to move the nation in a direction that will be dramatically different than the one we have been on for the last eight years.”
