Previous Story
Section 902 talks still ongoing in Hawaii
The second round of Section 902 talks began early this week in Hawaii with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres leading the CNMI delegation in a dialogue with Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs Esther Kia’aina. The meeting is set from Aug. 8 to 12.
Torres left the CNMI last Monday together with his chief of staff Matt Deleon Guerrero, legal counsel Wes Bogdan, department secretaries Edith Deleon Guerrero (Labor) and Marianne C. Teregeyo (Public Lands), Senate vice president Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan), Rep. Angel Demapan (R-Saipan), mayors Joey Patrick San Nicolas (Tinian) and Efraim Atalig (Rota), and Tan Holdings vice president Alex Sablan.
Press secretary Ivan Blanco said details and other updates are not yet available as of press time, but the Governor’s Office will release any information the team would send. He added the talks remain part of the continued partnership between the CNMI government and President Obama’s appointee, Kia’aina.
The 902 talks or Section 902 is an agreement between the governments of the CNMI and the United States under the Covenant where both parties reassess their relationship every 10 years. The CNMI transitional program that expires in 2019 and the planned military build up will be at the center of the discussions.
Blanco said this is just a follow up of the previous meeting last June held in Washington, D.C. “We anticipate progress on the aforementioned issues once the discussions begin. We will keep you posted soonest they become available.”
“The discussion has something to do with the plans of the Department of Defense on our islands and other concerns of the CNMI. Especially the CW issue that is currently affecting our transitional workers here in the CNMI and their families,” said Blanco, who added that Torres and the CNMI panel just want to follow up on those issues.
Blanco said currently the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hasn’t released any updates on the issue. “What’s going to happen now? Does the USCIS come out with a regulation that’s contravention with the law? Is U.S. Congress going to act? But I don’t think so since it is election season.”
“This is one of the important issues that surround the CNMI. Now, what are we going to do with children who are still underage and whose parents are CWs and need to leave the CNMI. These are some of the issues that are going to be discussed and where the talks will center on,” added Blanco.
