Critics have launched a campaign against a legislative initiative seeking to restrict to the indigenous residents the right to vote on issues involving land ownership in the CNMI.<\/p>\n
The opposition, led by DFS Saipan president Marian Aldan-Pierce, is urging the CNMI voters to reject the proposal, which is one of the issues they will have to decide on when they fill in the ballots on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The proposal is contained in Legislative Initiative 11-1 which provides that “only persons of Northern Marianas descent can vote on constitutional amendments affecting the protection against alienation of land,” commonly known as Article 12.<\/p>\n
LI 11-1 requires a majority vote to become a law. It is one of four proposed constitutional amendments which are up for voters ratification on Nov. 6.<\/p>\n
In an open letter to the CNMI voters, Aldan-Pierce said she deplores the lack of public education about LI 11-1.<\/p>\n
“Apparently, its sponsors want you to simply vote ‘yes’ without knowing how you are changing our precious constitution.,” she said.<\/p>\n
Aldan-Pierce warned that if the legislative initiative takes effect, the government would have to deal with potential costly court battles with parties contesting the future list of “authentic indigenous.”<\/p>\n
“How will the board of elections decide who can vote and who cannot vote in the future?” Aldan-Pierce asked.<\/p>\n
Determining those who belong to the indigenous category would not be an easy task, she warned.<\/p>\n
“Evidence which must trace one’s lineage back to the post-war era, is hard to obtain,” Aldan-Pierce said. “Decisions will be fought hard, especially once a negative decision will call into questions an entire family’s right to own its land.”<\/p>\n
She warned that any local family determined to be “not of NMI descent” faces the risk of forfeiting their land to the government.<\/p>\n
“As you can see, this is going to lead to heartbreaks for families, long court battles and a loss of government revenue in litigating these issues. Is this how we want to spend our government money?” Aldan-Pierce asked.<\/p>\n
Under the CNMI Constitution, a person who is determined to be of NMI descent refers to a US citizen or national with at least 1\/4 Chamorro or Carolinian blood, or a combination of both; or a person adopted by a somebody who is of NMI descent before reaching the age of 18.<\/p>\n
Aldan-Pierce said the vote-restriction initiative, if ratified by voters, would result in depriving several individuals, especially those born to interracial marriages, their basic rights and freedom in their own land.<\/p>\n
“What happens to these children who are only 1\/4 Chamorro or Carolinian blood? They lose their freedom to marry whomever they please. If they marry a non-Chamorro or non Carolinian person, their children will be 1\/8 blood,” she said.<\/p>\n
“In other words,” she added, “they may carry the culture and the language, but they will not be able to own land.”<\/p>\n
Aldan-Pierce urged the CNMI voters to decide seriously if they want to keep “drawing distinctions between people.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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