Panel sets election ethics seminar

The Commonwealth Election Commission yesterday announced three ethics seminars for candidates and their treasurers, as well as for prospective election workers.

The election commission, together with the Office of the Public Auditor and the Attorney General’s Office, will hold one session in each island during the month of September. The purpose of the presentations is to inform concerned individuals of ethics rules they would have to follow on the Nov. 5 general election.

The Saipan session will be conducted at 9am on Sept. 10, Saturday, at the Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

Seminars will be held at the Northern Marianas College campuses on Rota and Tinian on Sept. 17 and Sept. 24, respectively. The presentations will begin at 9am.

CEC executive director Gregorio C. Sablan urged candidates and treasurers to attend the seminars on the Election Reform Law. He added that individuals who failed to attend the ethics presentation could not be appointed as poll supervisors, poll workers, or confined workers for this year’s election.

Public auditor Michael Sablan disclosed earlier that the receipt of anonymous campaign contributions, use of contributions for personal expenses, and non-reporting of contributions received were three of the most common violations committed by political candidates during elections.

The Office of the Public Auditor has also received reports of alleged vote buying, campaigning or soliciting campaign contributions on government time or property, and receipt of contributions from contractors or entities doing business with the government, he said.