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Teno slams Stayman
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Posted on May 20 1999
Upset over the failure of the Office of Insular Affairs to inform the island government regarding the appointment of Washington Rep. Juan N. Babauta as the islands’ representative to the renegotiation of the Compact deal with FAS, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday chided OIA Director Allen P. Stayman for bypassing the CNMI people.
The outgoing OIA official has recently named Babauta as the Commonwealth representative to the October talks between the United States and the Freely Associated States, but the governor said it was done without consultation.
“I was never informed. I was not consulted. Maybe Mr. Stayman feels he has full responsibility and authority over the CNMI,” a visibly disappointed Tenorio said in an interview.
Babauta, who is eyeing the governorship in the 2001 elections, has likewise failed to notify him regarding the appointment, according to the Commonwealth leader.
The US and the FAS, which is comprised of the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau, are to begin discussions on the 1986 accord that guaranteed unrestricted entry to island residents into the mainland and its territories, including Guam and CNMI.
The accord also allows Micronesians free access to housing, education, medical care and other state benefits, which costs will be shouldered by host governments.
The cash-strapped island government, along with Guam and Hawaii, has been seeking reimbursements for the expenses it incurred for accommodating FAS citizens as provided for in the Compact-Impact agreement. Since 1997 Washington has failed to pay back CNMI some $24 million in impact costs.
The failure of federal agency to discuss the appointment of Babauta is expected to further strain relations between the Commonwealth and OIA, overseer of US insular jurisdictions, already at loggerheads for control over local labor and immigration policies.
“I assume that Mr. Stayman has the full authority over the islands as to what should be done.” Tenorio said. “He probably does not need the suggestions and recommendations from the elected officials and the people of CNMI.”
