Parties and politics in the CNMI

When it’s open season for politics in the CNMI, it really is open season, with party members shooting at each other and not at the opposition. I just hope no one will try to twist this letter into an opinion bullet against me because this is about the political parties and not a personal attack on the people in the parties in question. I have a great deal of respect for all the people in question.

Everyone has a right to run for office but I can’t ever remember in modern times of an incumbent in the executive office at the national or state level being challenged in a primary but it is conceivable—if there is public outcry with magnitude ample enough to warrant a primary—but I don’t see that happening. You can’t just have a primary because you asked for one; there is more to consider than you. I also don’t understand how the highest ranked elected official in a party was not a part of the party’s decision process. Both of these events defy the science of politics—yet both of these phenomena are realities in the CNMI.

The main reason parties hold a primary in this day and age is when there is no incumbent in the race and the only time a person (ex-official or citizen) decides to run for the top executive office without at least discussing it with the top elected official of their party is when they are trying to split the vote or they just don’t realize it’s political suicide.

There is also the problem with three major parties in the CNMI, which diminishes our capacity to have a majority and it complicates the democratic process. I call it a “three-ring circus of politics” because all three parties are trying to do something but it seems none of the parties really have total control. Watching them jockey for this year’s election is like watching a three-ring circus.

Politics is a “team sport” as President Bush alluded to when he bragged about having a lot of political capital to spend—he had a lot of help from fellow Republicans. So how can our politicians help us or even help themselves when they spend their time and make many of their moves and decisions based on plots against their fellow members in their party? Whatever happened to respecting your party and fellow members? What about “bowing out with dignity, respect and grace” once the party has decided? It doesn’t take a political scientist to know that “any division within the party doesn’t help the party and rarely ever helps the dissenter.” Dissenters in the leadership also guarantee dissension among the citizens. Our political parties have truly been their own worst enemy but the people are paying the cost.

I’ve said this before but I think it is worth saying again. The division and lack of working relationship among our leaders is our biggest obstacle to creating synergy for prosperity in the community and in the affairs of our government. We are a vastly divided people when it comes to politics of the CNMI and it’s all because of the many divisions at the top of our political system.

I truly have compassion for those who have been denied by their party to run for office and we all know it’s all because of politics but that’s the game you chose to play. If your bid is not strong enough to go “independent,” then you shouldn’t try to destroy your own party. Real career politicians step up to the plate even when they lose and become unifiers in their party rather than signifiers. Be a bigger man about losing and wait your turn. If your turn doesn’t come, then maybe it just wasn’t in the cards for you.

On an added note, while our parties are playing politics the poverty rate of our students in the Public School System is still increasing from 20 percent in 1980 to 29 percent in 1990 and 40 percent in 2004. We can assume this to be the same pattern that is evolving with the rest of our society, so please make sure you have some real plans for economic reform and not taxes when the dust settles after the 2005 elections.

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman, Saipan