Previous Story
Is it Babauta or Hofschneider? GOP set to decide on Monday
|
Posted on Jan 29 2005
The NMI Republican Party central committee is poised to announce the party’s official gubernatorial tandem Monday, based on a report submitted by a special panel.
“We’ve got the report but we have yet to discuss the result as a group on Monday,” said party chair John S. Reyes yesterday.
He said the report includes a recommendation as to whether the party needs to hold a primary or not for this year’s gubernatorial race.
“They touched on that issue but I’ll let the central committee tackle that,” he said.
Reyes said, though, that the special panel’s report “already made a recommendation on the candidate.”
The central committee earlier formed a committee, headed by former congressman William S. Torres, to assess the credentials of the party’s gubernatorial candidates: incumbent governor Juan N. Babauta and congressman Heinz S. Hofschneider.
“If you see the by-laws, it says that candidates will be chosen based on their credentials. It’s the chief consideration,” said GOP executive director Felipe Atalig in an interview Wednesday.
Babauta said last week that he would welcome the holding of a primary if the central committee so decides.
“I’ll respect the party’s decision,” he said, noting that he has never been against the holding of primaries per se.
Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente announced their re-election bid last September. Later, partymate congressman Hofschneider said he would also seek the highest elective post with independent congressman David Apatang as his running mate.
Monday’s meeting on Monday will be held at the GOP headquarters on Middle Road.
