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ON COMPACT-IMPACT TALKS Teno says US not keen on involving CNMI
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Posted on May 24 1999
Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has said the failure of the United States to consult the CNMI regarding its representative to the upcoming renegotiations of the Compact deal with the FAS strongly suggested Washington’s disinterest in involving the Commonwealth.
The governor’s comments stem from reports on the designation of Juan N. Babauta, the islands’ resident representative to Washington, as the Northern Marianas’ man in the talks scheduled for October.
Past reports indicated that Babauta was named by Allen P. Stayman, director of the Office of Insular Affairs which oversees US insular areas, as the CNMI’s representative.
His appointment has deeply upset Tenorio, who said such move has undermined the Commonwealth’s elected officials and its people.
But Babauta wrote to the governor, denying the appointment. “Whether my office has a formal role on the renegotiation team, however, is a matter which would have to be discussed with the Northern Marianas leadership.”
“I would appreciate if the CNMI will be involved in the negotiation…but it’s unfortunate that we were not notified. I assume they have no intentions of having the CNMI involved in the negotiations,” Tenorio said in an interview.
The US and the FAS, which is comprised of the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau, are to begin discussions on the 1986 accord that guaranteed unrestricted entry to island residents into the mainland and its territories, including Guam and CNMI.
The accord also allows Micronesians free access to housing, education, medical care and other state benefits, which costs will be shouldered by host governments.
The cash-strapped island government, along with Guam and Hawaii, has been seeking reimbursements for the expenses it incurred for accommodating FAS citizens as provided for in the Compact-Impact agreement. Since 1997 Washington has failed to pay back CNMI some $24 million in impact costs.
The failure of federal agency to discuss the appointment of Babauta is expected to further strain relations between the Commonwealth and OIA, overseer of US insular jurisdictions, already at loggerheads for control over local labor and immigration policies.
