“Where have we gone wrong here? What has happened to promises of the Covenant?” Sablan said.
But he added that the “fundamental promise” of the Covenant, CNMI self-government, has been achieved.
Economic self-sufficiency should now be the primary goal of CNMI leaders, he added, and what the islands’ first delegate to the U.S. Congress should address.
The Covenant is a very good agreement, Sablan said.
But the CNMI delegate must look into the areas of the Covenant where there are problems and try to solve them.
Since the islands’ political relationship with the U.S. is permanent, Sablan said “it is never too late for anything.”
Even if there some things in the Covenant that the CNMI people disagree with, “you don’t walk away from the table — you go in and face the issues and try to work on an arrangement acceptable to both parties.”
If elected, Sablan pledges to work closely with the federal government to advocate for legislation and policies that will help the CNMI economy.
“I also pledge to work toward securing federal funding that will help our people,” he said.
