The Saipan Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday that it will not be organizing a forum between Gov. Eloy S. Inos and former speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider in advance of Friday\u2019s runoff election for governor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Inos campaign could not confirm. This was our last possible date [to finalize] and but there was no confirmation from their camp. We\u2019re unable to host,\u201d said Chamber executive director Jill Arenovski.<\/p>\n
She said the Chamber had tentatively made arrangements to hold the forum tonight at the Marianas High School Gymnasium as they already had confirmation that Hofschneider would participate. However, the lack of a response from the NMI Republican Party torpedoed those plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying our best to make this event happen. We wish to thank all those that participated in our forum events this year. We appreciate your support during this election period,\u201d Arenovski said.<\/p>\n
In their defense, Inos said his camp doesn\u2019t see the point of debating with his opponent when the community already knows about the local GOP\u2019s plan for the CNMI weeks and even months back.<\/p>\n
\u201cRalph and I have spent the last 20 months working on the issues and challenges that matter most to the people of the CNMI and our record of accomplishments speak for themselves. As governor, my agenda is very much public knowledge and, as we learned today with the news of the GDP growth for 2013, Ralph and I are excited about continuing our outreach to the community in the final days of the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
The governor also said the hosting of two similar forums on the same day complicated his camp\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was some confusion between the Chamber forum and KSPN forum occurring at the same time and as a result Ralph and I made the decision to continue meeting with voters in their homes during this valuable time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heinz S. Hofschneider-Ray N. Yumul Committee-to-Elect chair David Attao said his camp is disappointed that Inos decided not to take part in the Chamber forum.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2014along with the vast majority of the people of the CNMI who want change\u2014are extremely disappointed with the IT camp\u2019s decision not to participate in the debate\/forum.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Chamber did conduct a gubernatorial forum of sorts last Oct. 30, albeit with independent candidate Juan N. Babauta the only one attending. Hofschneider and NMI Democratic Party bet Edward \u201cTofila\u201d M. Deleon Guerrero snubbed the event, citing that they didn\u2019t want to do it without Inos, who then was still in Manila where he had a follow-up checkup for his quadruple bypass surgery in 2008.<\/p>\n
Babauta and Deleon Guerrero since then have endorsed Inos for the Nov. 21 runoff after the latter topped the elections on Nov. 4. Hofschneider came second.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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