Kilili’s triumph, to be sure, is one of the few good things that happened in the commonwealth this year. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. His well-deserved success does not signal a “new era” for the CNMI. Not really. Not yet.
The people of the CNMI, like other citizens in other democracies, will continue to cast their ballots based on what they believe will be good for them. A lot of citizens, moreover, are apolitical. They vote not because they want to, but because they have to. And they have to because in the CNMI, the outcome of an important election affects the livelihood of families. On Election Day, most of them voted for Kilili because they believed they had nothing to lose — and a lot to gain. They’re retaining a public servant who had proven his competence and reliability by bringing home the proverbial bacon. It also helped that he was practically running against an administration that shamelessly believed it could once again hoodwink the electorate despite the hardship it was inflicting on the people.
This election cannot be compared to last year’s gubernatorial race, which had a runoff. Moreover, back then, a lot of people were still willing to give the governor the benefit of the doubt, particularly after meeting the ever charming Uncle Ben in person. But after a year of scandals, paycuts and more indications of this administration’s undeniable incompetence and corruption, voters had had enough.
This election weakened the governor’s aura of invincibility. His chosen one’s resounding defeat was a slap on the ruling party’s face. Indeed, the administration had its daggan kicked on each of the three main islands and in all but one of the election precincts.
The administration assumed that it could do it again: elect one of its own through the use of the governor’s vast powers and resources. But this time the administration was running against a U.S. congressman who, like the governor, knew politics. Kilili campaigned tirelessly. He reached out. He hit back when attacked. He ably defended his record. As I’ve pointed out two years ago when he first ran as delegate, Kilili is a capable, experienced politician. He knows how to win an election. And thank God for that. You can be the most intelligent, the most articulate, the most honest, the most trustworthy candidate in the world, but if you can’t win an election then how does that help the people who badly need your talents and leadership?
In the past two years, Kilili has proven to be a rarity among local politicians: he wins elections and he serves the public.
The lesson here is that the CNMI needs more candidates and politicians like Kilili.
The CNMI legislative elections are still two years away and there is enough time for reform-minded citizens to form a slate and begin touching base with the people, knowing and understanding their sentiments, and offering specific, workable solutions to the islands’ growing problems.
This shouldn’t be hard. The CNMI’s worsening crisis clearly shows why the status quo is crumbling and why it should end.
The real challenge is to find candidates who can run on a platform of real change and beat the old-style politicians in their own game.
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