‘2005 polls a Covenant-GOP showdown’

TINIAN—Democrat stalwart and former senator David Cing said his party is not dead but is only playing it low-key, acknowledging that this election is between the ruling Republican Party and the political opposition’s Covenant Party.

“We’re not dead. It’s lie low for now. …[If] Fitial loses this election, this party is going to disappear into thin air. Then those who are left will go different ways—either Republican or Democrat. These are the only two parties here,” said Cing.

John Del Rosario Jr., chair of the Committee to Elect Covenant Party’s gubernatorial candidate Benigno R. Fitial and Timothy P. Villagomez, said the former senator “only needs to look around to notice the strength of Covenant Party.”

“If the former senator looks around, he will [see that] this party is going to be here a long, long time. People have gotten tired of traditional parties, which have delivered nothing,” Del Rosario said.

He said party officials are often surprised because people they don’t expect “come to us and tell us, we support you.”

Cing also said that fielding Democratic candidates at this time is “fighting a losing war.”

“It’s very hard to convince that we are winning, so why bother? You see, candidates expect to win. As it is, it’s fighting a losing war. This election belongs to the Republicans and Covenant,” the outspoken former lawmaker said.

Cing said he supports independent gubernatorial candidate Heinz S. Hofschneider, mainly because Hofschneider has always been against casinos on Saipan.

“That makes me sleep [well] here on Tinian,” he said, adding that Tinian’s casino industry should be given a chance to flourish.

Besides, he said, “It’s easier to get out of an independent party.”

Cing added, though, that he “does not really care who is winning.”

“I don’t please people. I offend people a lot. I may not be a big fan of Heinz but his position on casino gives me tranquility. He’s not a threat to Tinian casino. I don’t know if other candidates would do the same. Heinz has consistently opposed casino on Saipan. To me that’s a display of leadership,” he said.

Cing said one thing that he does not like about the Heinz-David Apatang tandem is their political poster, which shows an elephant, a symbol of the Republican Party. Hofschneider broke away from GOP this year after party officials endorsed the re-election bid of Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente.

The former senator said he cannot support Democratic Party candidate Froilan C. Tenorio “because they didn’t listen to us.”

He said that back in 2003, he informed Saipan Democratic Party “not to forget about Tinian and Rota Democrats.”

“There’s no communication to us whatsoever. So I can’t support their candidate,” he said.