Fitial to US House: Let Kilili attend briefing

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial yesterday asked the U.S. House of Representatives to include Gregorio Sablan, the Commonwealth’s presumptive congressional delegate, to the briefing for new congressional members.

Fitial, in a letter to the House Committee on Administration, assured chairman Robert A. Brady that the final result of the CNMI election, which is expected to confirm Sablan’s triumph, will reach the committee in time for the second day of the orientation program.

The briefing will be held on Capitol Hill from Nov. 17 to 21.

Results of the precinct voting show that Sablan is leading his closest rival, incumbent Washington Resident Rep. Pete A. Tenorio, by 360 votes. Although the outcome of the absentee voting will not be revealed until Nov. 18, it is widely held that it will uphold Sablan’s victory in the polling places. With the time zone difference, Sablan’s election should be certified by the early hours of Nov. 18 in Washington, D.C.

“Mr. Sablan is the first elected delegate to serve from the Northern Mariana Islands, and it is important to our people that he be able to participate fully in your orientation program. This is an historic occasion for us as we have waited more than 30 years to have an elected delegate,” Fitial told Brady.

He continued, “Our current election processes are not geared to your schedule, but we will be addressing that problem shortly with our Legislature.”

On Sunday, Sablan announced a plan to travel to the Washington, D.C. on Friday, Nov. 14, to attend the orientation. His plan is to stand by and wait there until the absentee ballots are tabulated and confirm him as winner of the election.

“Although I will not have been certified the winner of the election by the time I leave for Washington, the people of the NMI have waited too long to be represented so I’m not going to miss any opportunity to start building relationships in Congress and learning about the tools the Delegate will have to improve life in the CNMI,” he said in a statement.

During his trip, Sablan also plans to meet with Tenorio to discuss the transition from the CNMI Washington representative’s office into the new delegate’s office.

House Floor Leader Joseph Camacho, a member of the NMI Republican Party who has supported Sablan’s independent bid for congressional delegate, will travel with Sablan.