Political parties and educated voters

The season has opened for aspirants to seek political offices. It is going to be a noisy and rambunctious season. One aspect of all this posturing that interests me is how candidates claim to be members of a political party without the party defining what it stands for. Or, better yet, how candidates shift easily from party to party. What does the candidate really believe in and what does he stand for? What does the party stand for? It’s like a carnival shell game where we the voters get conned.

I have always been interested in how candidates bounce from party to party. What is the true character and beliefs of the man or woman we vote for? It’s like today I am a Catholic. Suddenly because I don’t like something or somebody in that religion, I become a Buddhist. Then a few months later I decide to become a Methodist.

No one in Saipan ever really defines what his political party stands for. What are the party’s philosophy that so induce a man or woman to devote his/or her passion and finances to become a standard bearer of that political party? Then how does a candidate change so easily from his supposed belief in a party’s philosophy to another? Later in the blink of an eye he will change his beliefs again in desperation and claim to be an independent. Wow! And we elect that person to represent us?

As research for this article, I spent hours trying to understand what the three major political parties in the CNMI—Democratic, Republican, and Covenant—claim to believe in. But all the information about the Democratic or Republican parties seems to apply to the United States. None of it applies to the CNMI. Likewise I found no party philosophy for the Covenant. Yet so many people claim to believe in these parties. Perhaps someone could educate me and the rest of us as to what those beliefs are.

I find it difficult to associate some of the basic beliefs of the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States to events and actions of the parties in the CNMI. There are little if any similarities between what happens in the U.S. and in the CNMI. Therefore the parties’ philosophies in the States don’t match ours. So how can anyone call himself or herself a Democrat or Republican in the CNMI? What about the beliefs of the Covenant?

I hope the Republican Party, Democratic Party and Covenant Party of the CNMI will take time to explain exactly what they believe in. Their political beliefs and goals must be clearly explained until all of us voters fully understand them. They must clearly define their beliefs and how they stand on issues that pertain to us. This should be done before the voting start.

We must know exactly how each party is going to resolve some of the following problems facing us. We need specific solutions and actions that will be taken to resolve them. Anything less is not worth listening to and is another attempt to fool the public—us!

1. Specifically how is the CUC fiasco going to be solved?

2. What is the winning party going to do to motivate our
citizens to learn skills and become the labor force?

3. What is the winning party going to do about insufficient
water to our homes?

4. How will the waste water problem be solved?

5. How will the Retirement Fund be funded so that it will be
able to pay its members?

6. Will they motivate airlines to fly to Saipan?

7. Will the winning party search for ways to encourage new
businesses to invest in the CNMI that will employ local
labors?

8. How will they negotiate the Federalization issue?
(You add your thoughts to the list.)

If we can get the political parties to profess what they believe in, then we must do the same for its slate of candidates. Please let’s stop being fooled by the candidates’ empty rhetoric. I have stopped going to pocket meetings because of the nonsense that is spewed-out at those meetings. Somehow we feel that if we eat the food and drink offered, we are obligated to swallow their gobbledygook.

If we want honest and sincere politicians to work with us to improve our community, we must also do our part. We must study the issues. We must put in the effort to study what we want and how to obtain it. And then elect the proper candidates. Anything less will be a derelict of duty on our part. If we don’t do our due diligent work, then we deserve more of the same type of smooth-talking candidates. We must become educated voters. We must exercise our power to make the needed changes. And we must stop voting for incompetent family members!

We must examine every candidate’s personal life before we vote for him. I believe that most candidates are sincere and honest when they begin their attempt to win a seat. Most of them truly feel they can make a difference and that it will be an easy job to convince others to do so. However once elected they get lost in the scuffle.

They realize that they have come unprepared for the political jockeying and the give and take that is the style of the political arena. As a result they get lost and become ineffective. Notice the number of short timers. I am referring to the ones that serve one term and then vanish. Meanwhile we the citizens end up with do-nothingers.

Let’s remember what past voting for ineffective and related candidates has done to us. Let’s avoid the same mistakes. I am not suggesting that you vote for so and so. But I am strongly telling all of us: We must select better qualified leaders. We must educate ourselves on the issues at stake and the candidates’ abilities to make necessary changes. It is our duty!

Let’s ask what has the candidate done in the community to better it prior to running for office? What are his true motives for running for office? What qualifications does he have except a big family? What is his work experience? Has he been a successful member of the community? What is his educational background? How well is he informed on the issues? And other questions which will reveal his true abilities.

Another point that has always interested me is what do former elected officials do in the period between when they lose an election and the next election? Do they engage in community and volunteer work to show that they are truly interested in us. For two years or even four years we never hear about this candidate.

Suddenly it is election time and he creeps out of the woodwork and proclaims his candidacy. Is this the type of candidate we need? Is he looking out for our benefit or does he need a job desperately because he is running out of money? Hmm!

I could go on and on but the real problem lies with each of us. Regardless of what I state here, unless you demand that the political parties clearly state their objectives and that their slate of candidates be more wisely selected, we will never improve. As long as we keep voting for family-related members, we will keep getting more of the same type of government that we have had for years.

Each of us must convince others that change can only come from sincere and well-educated candidates elected by educated voters. Let’s stop listening to false prophets. To keep voting in the same way as we have will continue the downward slide we are in now. Please– for once in our short political career can we just try it—vote for who we truly believe will do a great job, not a family member or a smooth talker.

You want change? Than do it! Let’s get off our “buts” (excuses) and vote more intelligently!