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Chamber gears up for delegate forum
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Posted on Oct 10 2008
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for a candidate forum Tuesday next week where voters will have a chance to hear the nine candidates vying to serve as the CNMI’s non-voting delegate in Washington, DC, answer questions from the business community.
The forum—set to take place at the Fiesta Resort at 6:30pm Tuesday—will follow an unorthodox format. Chamber members, students from the Northern Marianas College and members of the chamber’s board have all submitted questions, according to the chamber’s executive director, Kyle Calabrese. Each question will be selected at random and posed to one candidate. The event will likely be the first time all of the candidates have attended a public forum at the same time, he added.
“The reason for the format is that if you have nine people answering the same question, you’ll maybe get through one and a half questions before the forum is over and the ninth person is probably going to be limited in what they might say,” Calabrese said, adding that chamber members have mostly submitted questions that address business and economic issues.
Moderating the forum will be Jon Anderson of Bridge Capital. Candidates will have two minutes to answer the questions they are asked. Calabrese said chamber staffers Friday were reviewing the questions submitted.
To attend the forum, tickets for adults are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Students with identification may purchase tickets for $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Proceeds will support the Chamber’s educational projects and other programs. Tickets may be purchased at the Chamber office on the first floor of the Family Building on Garapan Street, in Garapan.
