‘We will do what is best for the for our people’

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday vowed to step up efforts to help improve the livelihood of the commonwealth amid deepening financial troubles, as he marked his first year in office he once described as the most challenging in his political career.

After plunging into the helm of power as the sixth titular head of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands a year ago, Tenorio said a lot needs to be done to help the community.

“We will do what is best for the for our people, for our community,” the governor said, “We want to make sure that we…assist our people.”

The charismatic leader, however, declined to assess how his administration performed since he took office on January 12. “I reserve that for the people to judge,” he said.

Tenorio made a controversial political comeback in 1997 to claim his third term that was met with constitutional question whether he could serve another four years, a dilemma that had plunged the commonwealth into its worst political crisis in years.

Largely credited for bringing the island economy into its halcyon years during his leadership from 1982 to 1988, Tenorio is now confronted with a slew of tough economic and political woes arising from the Asian contagion and homegrown problems.

After more than a decade of phenomenal growth, the Northern Marianas is experiencing its worst economic slump spawned by the downfall of the mighty economies in Asia, where it counts its tourists and investors.

Since last year, the half-a-billion-dollar tourism industry, the backbone of the island economy, has seen visitor arrivals dropping at double-digit levels which has substantially pulled down government revenues and forced Tenorio to put in place a package of belt-tightening measures, reduce spending limit, and map out plans to diversify the economy.

According to the governor, he hopes the financial condition of the government coffers will improve to be able to better serve the community. “We’re trying our best to accomplish our goals.”

Another thorny issue that is worrying Tenorio is CNMI’s strained ties with the United States, the commonwealth’s main economic provider.

The federal government has been seeking to take control of Saipan’s immigration and wage-setting powers, citing the commonwealth’s inability to address labor abuses and curb influx of foreign immigrants, who later acquire American citizenship.

As a U.S. protectorate, Washington provides the Northern Marianas with political stability, especially after the pullout of American troops here, and guaranteed funding for key infrastructure projects, social and medical needs.

Next week, the Tenorio administration will be put to test whether it could convince White House officials to go slow on the takeover plans when CNMI and the US resume bilateral talks aimed at resolving differences in the implementation of local immigration and labor laws.

Wide gap in the talking points is expected to open the 902 consultation with uneasiness. President Bill Clinton’s special representative to the talks, Edward B. Cohen, has been pushing to discuss transition to federal immigration and minimum wage laws, while the CNMI maintains it only needs federal assistance to improve implementation of local policies.

“I hope Mr. Cohen will have an open mind on how we should resolve our mutual concerns,” Tenorio said in an interview.