Pangelinan, D-Saipan, believes that one person can bring the party out of the political wilderness.
She said political leaders and members of political parties on island worry about their organizations only when election time comes.
When someone surfaces to be the party’s candidate for governor that is the only time the party starts seeking the people’s support.
“That is not going to work this time because the people are getting very disappointed with the way things are in the CNMI,” said Pangelinan.
From the beginning, she said, the Democratic Party has been “the party of the poor.”
The party needs someone who will rally its members and lead them to victory, she added.
“If we don’t have that leadership, we should not expect somebody to show up and agree to be a candidate of the party,” she said.
Party leaders, she said, need to assess what has gone wrong with the party.
Unfortunately, she added, the party system on island cannot be compared to U.S. politics.
In the states, she said, people believe in the party’s principles before they register to be members.
Elected in 2005, Pangelinan has said that she will not seek another term in this year’s elections.
