Tinian moves to stop Rota’s casino plan • Tinian delegation begins campaign to convince Saipan legislators in their favor

Tinian lawmakers will offer a legislative initiative forbidding Rota to establish its own casino operations in a move that observers believe will throw Saipan legislators right into the growing rift between the two island municipalities.

Sen. Joaquin G. Adriano is set to introduce the legislation making the high-roller gambling business exclusive to Tinian in a bid to stop the Rota delegation from pressing its own initiative on the establishment of casino on the island.

The Republican senator from Tinian said he would file the measure at the next Senate session unless his colleagues from Rota decide to scrap their casino proposal.

“There is nothing we can do to oppose their plan, but we can also come in with a legislative initiative to prohibit other casino operations in the CNMI other than what we have on Tinian,” Adriano told in an interview yesterday.

A draft of the initiative is under way and two-thirds of the members of both houses in the Legislature will have to approve it first before it can be presented in the ballots for the midterm elections in November.

Adriano, who heads the Tinian Legislative Delegation, said they will aggressively pursue passage of the initiative, vowing to lobby support from Saipan lawmakers who constitute the majority of the House of Representatives.

For the measure to pass the nine-member Senate, it will need the six votes from Tinian and Saipan. Adriano admitted this will involve “intense” lobbying”, saying “I’m hoping to convince them.”

According to a political observer, this move will “deeply” divide the Legislature, with Saipan legislators becoming the “decision-making” factor in the equation since the island has already rejected the casino initiative in the past.

“This will have tremendous political implications,” said the observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Tinian’s action stemmed from persistent efforts by Rota leaders to set up the proposed casino, beginning with a legislative initiative supporting the plan which is anticipated to get approval in the November polls.

The proposal has fueled exchange of angry words between the two island municipalities in recent weeks, heightening tension in the Legislature.

In unveiling the ambitious project early this month, Rota Mayor Benjamin T. Manglona has pledged to try to do better than what Tinian has done so far with the establishment of the financially-troubled Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.

He also has repeatedly stressed the proposal is a last-ditch attempt by the municipality to turn the tide spawned by the prolonged economic hardships in the Commonwealth, which has affected Rota’s tourism industry.

But Tinian lawmakers have protested the proposal, saying that the neighboring island must wait at least three years before they work on their plan.

“We still believe that they should allow Dynasty to get a break for two to three years and then we would be willing to help Rota to develop other industries,” Adriano said.