Rep. Felicidad Ogumoro (R-Saipan) once again pre-filed a bill creating a new commission to examine whether the CNMI people desire continuing the islands\u2019 current political relationship with the United States, barely three months since Gov. Eloy S. Inos vetoed her similar bill over constitutional issues and attempts to \u201cunilaterally\u201d alter the relationship between the U.S. and the CNMI.<\/p>\n
Ogumoro is expected to introduce House Bill 18-206 when the House holds a session later this week.<\/p>\n
The proposed commission\u2019s purpose is to, among other things, examine the present political relationship between the Northern Marianas and the U.S.<\/p>\n
The commission is also expected to determine whether the NMI people are still in favor of continuing in \u201cpolitical union with the United States of America\u201d pursuant to the Covenant, and\/or prefer some other political status options that would \u201cbetter enable them to fulfill their hope and aspirations of full, meaningful and a well-defined self-government status.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under HB 18-206 or the Second Marianas Political Status Commission Act of 2014, the commission shall submit its final report to the CNMI Legislature for review and approval.<\/p>\n
After such review and approval, the Legislature shall present such political status option(s) to the Commonwealth Election Commission which, in turn, shall present such political status option to the voters for their approval or disapproval in a plebiscite.<\/p>\n
The governor, in his May 2014 veto message of Ogumoro\u2019s earlier bill, said it is \u201cdoubtful\u201d that such commission could \u201cunilaterally\u201d alter the relationship between the NMI and the U.S.<\/p>\n
Ogumoro\u2019s pre-filing of HB 18-206 also comes five months after the CNMI marked on March 24 the 38th year of the 1976 signing of the mutually negotiated \u201cCovenant\u201d that made the Northern Marianas a part of the American political family, and paved the way for its qualified people to become U.S. citizens in 1986.<\/p>\n
Covenant Section 105 provides that the fundamental provisions of the Covenant\u2014namely Articles I, II and III and Sections 501 and 805\u2014may be modified only with the consent of the U.S. and CNMI governments.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, even if the voters of the Commonwealth ultimately voted to approve changes to the Covenant, the United States would need to consent to any changes to the fundamental Covenant provisions identified above,\u201d Inos earlier said.<\/p>\n
The governor also earlier said a provision in the vetoed bill is almost certain to be in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I 6 of the Commonwealth Constitution, referring to a qualification of appointees who are supposed to be \u201ca person of Northern Marianas descent as defined in Article XII 4 of the N.M.I. Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ogumoro\u2019s new bill does not restrict appointment to NMD persons.<\/p>\n
Instead, it says U.S. citizen and has been domiciled in the CNMI for at least five consecutive years at the time of appointment, and \u201cshall have at least good knowledge of the Northern Marianas\u2019 political history\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Ogumoro\u2019s bill also seeks the governor\u2019s reprogramming of up to $100,000 for the commission\u2019s operations and the amount may be spent \u201cwithout regard to fiscal year limitation.\u201d Ogumoro is seeking re-election in the Nov. 4 general elections. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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