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Republican Party to elect new officers today
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Posted on Jul 07 2011
Republican Party of the NMI president Juan I. Tenorio won’t seek re-election in tonight’s election of officers, wherein members of Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s committee pushing to eventually “merge” the Republican and Covenant Parties are expected to turn in application forms to also join the GOP.
Tenorio, who served two years as party president, said Fitial cannot be nominated and elected president because the Republican bylaws prohibit a sitting elected official to be president of the party.
Fitial is currently in Japan, and on his way to San Francisco, California before heading to Washington, D.C. and then Utah.
Former speaker Oscar Rasa, chairman of Fitial’s so-called Blue Ribbon Committee, said last night they will be turning over application forms for membership into the Republican Party. He declined to comment further.
Rasa earlier said there are over 1,000 filled out application forms ready to be turned over to the Republican Party.
Tenorio said even if there are submissions of application forms, these individuals cannot participate in the voting process because their applications have yet to be reviewed and accepted.
He tasked former Public Works secretary Juan Reyes to oversee the party’s membership recruitment.
Tenorio said after tonight’s election of officers, he will not get involved in politics anymore.
“I’m done with politics,” he told Saipan Tribune.
He said he will devote his time to the Saipan Little League, which he led as president a few years back.
“I already told former governor Juan N. Babauta and Governor Fitial about it. I am just going to be dedicating my time to the 40 kids in the Little League,” he added.
House minority leader Diego Benavente (R-Saipan), whose resignation as a lawmaker takes effect on July 16, said he will not be seeking election as Republican party president at this time.
“It’s something I want to do in the future, but not now,” the former lieutenant governor and speaker said.
Benavente added that he didn’t even know that there’s a general membership meeting tonight.
The Republican Party’s general membership meeting tonight will start at 6pm at the Garapan Central Park.
