Speaker Eli D. Cabrera, R-Saipan, said he needs at least a couple of months to decide whether he should seek reelection.
Cabrera, a freshman lawmaker who has aligned himself with the administration-backed House leadership, said he still has to consult his family first.
He said he ran as Republican in Precinct 1 in 2009, but if the party decides to fill the slate before he submits his letter of intent, “What can I do? I will respect that.”
He added, “I am a Republican, and unless they don’t want to save a slot for me then, that is beyond my control. If they want to make the slot vacant for me, I will wait for a couple of months to decide.”
Rep. Joseph M. Palacios, another freshman lawmaker from Precinct 1 who joined the House leadership, said instead of a letter of intent, he will ask Fitial to give him at least two months to decide.
He intends to run again on the Republican ticket but he wants to consult with his constituents first.
“I have to check not only my families but the people who believe in me. I want to visit them and know if I am doing what they expected from me and if they think I am doing my job well. I want to hear from them directly because they were the ones who put me in office,” Palacios said.
The Republican House members who comprised the minority bloc want to make a decision as a group, according to Rep. Ray N. Yumul of Precinct 3.
He said they have not decided whether to still run as Republicans.
“That is what we are going to discuss because there are compelling arguments from each of us. I want to hear all sides. I still consider myself a Republican,” he said.
Once they make up their minds, Yumul they will make a decision as a group.
He added they will meet again before the Dec. 31 deadline.
Yumul said he still believes that the party still has members who are good and honest people.
He also believes in the importance of running under a political party.
The main purpose of having a party, he said, is to have “cohesion and direction” so that a platform is formulated and goals are set.
Yumul was first elected in 2003 as a Covenant Party member that was founded by Fitial in 2001. Yumul sought a second term as an Independent and later joined the GOP.
For his part, Republican Rep. Ray A. Tebuteb also of Precinct 3 asked: “What deadline? At this point, it’s more critical for us to focus on our jobs.”
Tebuteb was first elected in 2001.
Freshman Rep. Trenton B. Conner, R-Tinian, said Fitial should not put potential candidates on the spot without giving them the chance to sit down with their families first.
Conner said he will not follow Fitial who “unilaterally” decided to set the deadline.
