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Vice speaker will be joining Fitial in the Republican Party
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Posted on Jan 10 2012
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
Reporter
House Vice Speaker Felicidad Ogumoro (Cov-Saipan) said yesterday she’s seeking re-election this November under Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s Republican Party, bringing to at least three the number of incumbent lawmakers shifting political parties.
House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan) and Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan) earlier confirmed they are joining the governor, now the president of the Republican Party.
“I believe in the governor’s leadership. I want to continue working with him to accomplish our mission of turning the CNMI economy around and to make this a self-governing Commonwealth,” she said.
Ogumoro said her formal letter to the governor will be forthcoming.
Rep. Ralph Demapan (Cov-Saipan) separately said yesterday he’s staying with the Covenant Party.
Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Cov-Saipan), for his part, said he has yet to decide whether he will seek re-election and if so, under which political party.
Fitial gave a Dec. 30 deadline to those he sent letters to or personally asked to join him in the GOP. The governor rejoined the Republican Party in January 2011-10 years after leaving it to form his own Covenant Party in 2001 to support his gubernatorial bid, which he won on his second attempt.
While Fitial and others have rejoined the Republican Party, Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos has remained with the Covenant Party, making it the first time in CNMI history that the governor and lieutenant governor belong to two different political parties.
Other lawmakers, including Rep. Ray Palacios (Cov-Saipan), said they have yet to make a decision whether to remain with their current party or join the governor’s GOP.
