‘GOP by-laws have no clear basis for primary’

The NMI Republican Party has no clear and convincing basis for a party primary or an open primary, as requested by the Hofschneider-Apatang team, according to a GOP ad hoc committee.

A report submitted by the GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Committee, chaired by former congressman William S. Torres, said that the Republican Party by-laws “sanction neither a primary nor an open primary, or for that matter, any formal process, procedure or protocols for conducting one.”

“Therefore, it is the conclusion of your committee that the committee has little, if any, choice [in] the matter but to urge compliance with the guidelines in the party by-laws, and further, to deny petitioners’ [Hofschneider and Apatang] filing accordingly,” said the ad hoc committee in its Jan. 28 report to GOP chair John S. Reyes.

The special committee, which was tasked to assess the credentials of the party gubernatorial candidates and make a recommendation on the proposed holding of a primary, chose to support the re-election bid of Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente over the tandem of Reps. Heinz Hofschneider and David Apatang.

Torres’ panel, in the report, said that the Hofschneider-Apatang team submitted three separate letters of their intent to run for governor and lieutenant governor in the 2005 general elections.

The two initially handed in a joint letter on Sept. 17, 2004, followed by another letter on Oct. 19, and again on Dec. 14, 2004.

The Babauta-Benavente tandem submitted its letter of intent on Sept. 8.

But unlike the Babauta-Benavente team, which specifically asked for the party’s endorsement, the Hofschneider-Apatang tandem specifically asked for the holding of a party primary.

“Hofschneider-Apatang did not specifically request for the endorsement of Republican Party in the party’s candidate and nominee selection process,” said the report.

The report said the Hofschneider-Apatang team focused on “reminding the party of its obligation and responsibility for conducting an open primary for the party’s candidate and nominee selection process, and the potential consequences to the Republican Party itself if it decides to do otherwise.”

Further, Torres’s committee said that the Hofschneider-Apatang team failed to comply with party membership rules, specifically in the case of Apatang, on account of his political party affiliation and association with the Covenant Party in 2001.

Apatang ran under the Covenant Party for a Senate seat in 2001 but he lost. He then dissociated himself from the party and ran for a House seat as an independent candidate in 2003. He won and is currently serving his term in the 14th Legislature.

Torres’s committee said that even if the party concedes to the Hofschneider-Apatang team’s call for a primary, the local GOP would violate Article 5 section 13 of its own by-laws in endorsing them as the party’s gubernatorial candidates.

Torres’ committee recommended, among others, that GOP should make a clear determination on the need for a party primary and incorporate it in its by-laws. It said such policy should be applied across-the-board, and not just for gubernatorial candidates.

The ad hoc committee consists of Rita Sablan, Rose Igitol, Edward Maratita, Herman Manglona, and Torres.

The central committee, headed by party chairman John S. Reyes adopted the report on Monday, endorsing the Babauta-Benavente team for this year’s election.

Among the central committee members present in Monday’s meeting, only Sue Mafnas reportedly objected to the immediate adoption of the recommendation.

The central committee is composed of the five-member executive committee, five members precinct heads, past GOP chairmen, and the governor.

The governor did not reportedly attend the meeting.