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‘Fitial—the right man at the right time’
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Posted on Oct 30 2005
“The right man for the right moment.”
That was how Democratic Party co-founder Vicente N. Santos described House Speaker Benigno Fitial, the Covenant Party’s gubernatorial bet, before a mammoth crowd at the Civic Center area in Susupe yesterday.
A conservative estimate placed the crowd population at over a thousand. The Covenant Party’s gubernatorial tandem, Fitial and Vice Speaker Timothy Villagomez, led the party’s candidates and supporters in a final political rally filled with food, drinks, and entertainment before Saturday’s elections.
“I believe that Speaker Ben Fitial can better tackle the problems facing the Commonwealth,” Santos said.
“The time is right for him. He has been in government and in business for many years. The business sector will appreciate his involvement in government because I know that being a governor is a heavy task. He is the right man for the right moment,” he added.
Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s uncle, Joaquin Crisostimo Babauta, urged voters to install a new administration in Saturday’s elections.
“The Covenant Party is a better team. If you see the campaigns, there are always a lot of people,” Babauta said.
Covenant Party chairman Martin Manglona said the crowd turnout in yesterday’s political rally was overwhelming. “People are fed up [with the Babauta administration]. People are suffering.”
Reelectionist congressman Oscar Babauta echoed the same sentiment, saying that the high supporter-turnout in Saturday’s Saipan motorcade not only displayed the Covenant Party’s strength, but also indicated the public’s desire for a change in government.
A festive mood filled the Civic Center grounds, with candidates not only speaking about their campaign lines but also singing on the stage festooned by green and white balloons, the party’s symbolic color.
Live band from the Tambayan Music Lounge and another group, the Jesse Rivera and the Hot Chamaules, provided entertainment. Rivera said his group came from Seattle, Washington to show its support for the Covenant Party. Rivera said he also composed songs for the Covenant Party. (John Ravelo)
