He said the Democratic National Committee may recognize a delegation from the CNMI in 2009.
McNamara encouraged the NMI Democratic Party to contact him after the November elections to get more information on how to move further toward national affiliation.
The DNC, he added, deals with issues regarding structure, membership and participation only “in a non-presidential year.”
This encouragement, from a DNC official, according to NMI Democratic Party President Manny Sablan, is a small step forward in ensuring recognition from the national party that is expected to retain control of the U.S. Congress and win back the White House.
Sablan, in telephone interview, said the local party’s new central executive committee acknowledges the importance of affiliation with the national party since the CNMI, for the first time, will elect a delegate to the U.S. Congress.
Although he is personally not too convinced that party affiliations will have significant impact on the CNMI’s relationship with the federal government, Sablan still believes that joining the DNC will be good for the local Democrats.
Torres, who was tasked by the local party to communicate with its national counterpart, informed DNC secretary Alice Germond that all NMI Democrats believe that aligning with the national party “is long overdue.”
The local GOP is already aligned with the national Republican Party and will send a delegation to the GOP convention in September in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Sablan said the matter will be discussed during their meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Garapan Central Park where they will elect a new central executive committee and launch a membership drive as part of their efforts to revive the party.
