Covenant Party is on the move

The Covenant Party of the Northern Marianas is on the march.

In a general membership meeting held last Thursday, party stalwarts elected a new chairman: MrMartin M. Manglona, a retired non-commissioned military officer widely expected to bring exceptional organizational skills to bear in this years hotly contested election campaign.

Manglona, who had been the party’s chairman for Precinct 1, was unanimously elected in the party’s general membership meeting on Jan. 20, 2005, after he had selected a successor to replace him as Precinct 1 chairman. Precinct 1 is the largest election precinct in the CNMI. Its new chairman is Jesus Muna, another military veteran.

More than 100 Covenant Party supporters attended the meeting, which confirmed other party officers and political candidates. The meeting was held in the Covenant Party headquarters along Middle Road.

The party, which now welcomes many new, disillusioned Republican Party members, is poised to launch its kickoff rally for Saipan on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005. The party expects more than a 1,000 supporters to attend the Saipan rally, which will be held in the Susupe basketball court area along Beach Road.

The upcoming Saipan rally follows Covenant Party rallies held in Tinian and Rota last month, where voter turnout was very encouraging to party officials. The Rota and Tinian events in December followed Speaker Ben Fitial and Vice Speaker Tim Villagomez’s gubernatorial announcement in November 2004.

In the Tinian rally of December 18, 2004, Speaker Fitial expressed his desire to work for a new standard of living for the Commonwealth, saying there is an urgent need to bring in new industries and new life into our economy.

In the next four years, Fitial said, it can be done with new leadership. Give us the confidence. Give us the opportunity to implement our plans for the Commonwealth.

Villagomez, for his part, emphasized the CNMI’s need for solid plans and assured Tinian voters that the Covenant Party has plans for the economy.

“This is a big job ahead,” said Villagomez. “I am ready and prepared to do the work.”

The Covenant Party is busy campaigning for better times. With the election still some 10 months away, the Covenant Party already has television, magazine, and newspaper ads wooing voters. (PR)