“So far, I have in my hands 450 signatures, said Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, adding that she still has to contact 40 people on her list.
Several other people are going around island, collecting signatures to gather more than the required number.
The group handling the signature drive has been having a difficult time verifying the signatures as some name entries have been disqualified due to duplication.
Sablan is waiting for more signatures collected by the other members of her group of volunteeers.
In May, Sablan was able to submit 2,740 signatures to the AGO.
“Approximately 2,500 signatures were gathered by concerned citizens last summer — not enough to get the initiative on the ballot for last year’s election, but the delegate election this November means that we have an opportunity…to get the initiative on the ballot this year,” the lawmaker added.
Recently, she and some individuals collected between 80 and 90 signatures at the Sabalu Market.
Sablan is appealing to the public to support the petition that will apply the Open Government Act to the Legislature.
You may contact her at 285-3935.
An initiative petition that proposes a general law for the commonwealth has to be signed by at least 20 percent of the persons qualified to vote in the commonwealth.
The CNMI has over 12,000 registered voters.
An initiative petition certified by the attorney general should be submitted to the voters at the next regular general election.
The initiative will become law if approved by two-thirds of the votes cast.
Sablan is hoping to place her initiative on the ballot for the CNMI congressional delegate election in November.
