GOP to choose delegates who will help pick presidential bet

Voting for local Republicans’ delegates to the August Republican National Convention in Florida will be held this Saturday from 7am to 7pm at the Carolinian Utt in Garapan on Saipan. Voting places on Rota and Tinian will be announced soon.

Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong, the person-in-charge of the Republican Party of the NMI Association’s 2012 delegate elections, said “the RPNMIA caucus will be open to all registered Republicans in the CNMI.”

“Everyone will have an opportunity to vote for their choice of [delegate] candidate,” he said.

Voting on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota will be from 7am to 7pm “and results to be announced upon counting,” he added.

Ogumoro-Uludong said that Republicans will vote for six delegates. However, there will also be six alternates to ensure a complete slate of delegates representing the RPNMIA in Tampa, Florida.

They will be joined at the national convention by the three party officers: Gov. Benigno R. Fitial as party chairman, national committeeman Bo Palacios, and national committeewoman Viola Alepuyo.

Juan Reyes, one of those running for delegates, said he hopes all registered Republicans in the CNMI will vote on March 10. He said the last estimate was 3,000, but he said registration is still ongoing.

“We would like everyone to register as Republicans and vote,” said the former Republican Party chair.

Reyes was instrumental in having the NMI Republican Party receive official recognition from the national organization in 2004.

Jesus Muna, a former precinct chair, said he initially considered running for delegate but said he can’t afford to travel to Florida if he wins, considering that the party may not have the funds to pay for all the delegates and officers’ expenses.

Those who will be elected as delegates, along with the three officers, will be sent to the Republican National Convention in Florida from Aug. 27 to 30 to help pick the GOP’s presidential candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in the Nov. 6 polls.

Ogumoro-Uludong said the nine delegates are “unbound.” This means they are not obligated to vote for a particular candidate at the Republican National Convention.

“The March 10, 2012 RPNMIA Caucus is a non-binding caucus,” he added. “The delegates, upon selection by CNMI registered Republicans, will have an opportunity to make their choice at the national convention.”

There’s no telling whether the Republican delegates from the CNMI will endorse former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul, or former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.

In 2008, Republican delegates from the CNMI endorsed Sen. John McCain.

Other U.S. insular areas, such as American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto, will also have at least nine delegates each to the national convention.