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Saipan mayor not seeking re-election
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Posted on Jun 27 2000
Saipan Mayor Jose C. Sablan is no longer seeking reelection in the November 2001 elections due to health problems.
In a letter to Joseph Reyes, chair of the CNMI Republican Party, Mayor Sablan said the success of his recent heart by-pass surgery makes it prudent that he takes his health and any medical advice into consideration before assuming any job.
Mr. Sablan, however, assured the public that he will continue to work hard for the improvement of the island and the entire Commonwealth during the remainder of his tenure in office.
“I want to wish all the potential aspirants vying for this Office the best of luck, especially the Republican Party candidates,” he said.
So far, former Rep. Frank Cepeda and Henry Sablan, both of the Republican party, and ex-Rep. Juan Borja Tudela, of the Democratic Party, have expressed intention in seeking the Saipan mayoralty.
Mayor Sablan has expressed hopes that the much delayed street naming project will be finally implemented before his term ends. The Street Naming Commission which he heads has been waiting for the federal highway fund for the purchase of materials and installation of the signs.
An estimated $800,000 is needed to fund the project. The federal fund will be used for the highway signs while those for the local roads will be funded by the CNMI government.
Earlier, the Carolinian community sought a review of the street names chosen by the Commission as they wanted to make sure that some Carolinian names which will reflect their cultural heritage are included.
But some legislators said the move may delay efforts to put in place a street-naming mechanism for Saipan because a commission created by the mayor’s office had already taken the input of all sectors on the island when they drafted the master street map.
Street naming for Saipan has been hampered by bureaucratic problems over the last 10 years and the task has yet to be completed despite creation of the commission in 1997.
