It’s Froilan-Vicente for Democratic Party

Former governor Froilan Tenorio will make a comeback in this year’s gubernatorial elections, with the CNMI Democratic Party choosing him and running mate Vicente Camacho as its standard bearer Friday.

Manny Borja, a member of the party’s central executive committee, said the Tenorio-Camacho team received the support of all the 17 members present at the meeting on Friday night.

“It was a unanimous decision based on [the candidates’] timely submission of a letter of intent that met all the requirements set by the bylaws,” Borja said. “As for Luis [Crisostimo], we are urging him to finish his four-year term as a senator. After that, he can run but he has to give us all the required information.”

Crisostimo, who assumed his first position as an elected official in January last year, had also sought the party’s endorsement to run for governor in the November 2005 elections.

However, the party declined to consider his letter of intent due to some technical issues.

According to the party, Crisostimo violated the group’s bylaws regarding the submission of letter of intent by failing to name a running mate.

Democratic Party rules also require that candidates for governor must have a running mate, who must submit a separate letter of intent to the chair of the central executive committee.

The deadline for submission of letters of intent ended on Feb. 1.

Crisostimo also failed to pay the required $1,500 candidacy fee. Under the party’s rules, all declarations/letters for candidacy “must be accompanied by a check for the filing/primary fee in order to be accepted.”

The Saipan Tribune tried to reach Crisostimo for his comments yesterday, but he was not available.

In an earlier interview, Crisostimo had said the central committee should base its decision on the level of a candidate’s support for the party, not on technicalities.

He, however, had dispelled concerns that he might defect from the party in the event that he is not picked. “I am a Democrat. Breaking away is out of the question,” he had said.

For his part, Borja said the party has “very high hopes” for the elections.

“The best bid now is Froilan [Tenorio] and Ben [Camacho]. All the other candidates are in power, and look what’s happening to the economy and the Commonwealth. They can’t mislead the people. Froilan’s record, on the other hand, speaks for itself,” said Borja.