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Poll: Residents want Article XII retained
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Posted on May 07 2005
Local residents are generally satisfied with a constitutional provision restricting land ownership to individuals of Northern Marianas descent, according to a survey by Northern Marianas College students.
Results of the survey showed that 73.15 percent of the respondents want Article XII of the Constitution retained, while 18.8 percent want the law amended. Only 8.06 percent want the law abolished.
Among those who chose to amend the law, 87.07 percent said they would like to lengthen the leasehold period from the current 50 years to 75 years. The remaining 12.93 percent said they would like the leasehold period extended to 99 years.
Conducted by a social science class at NMC, the results were based on a survey of 782 individuals of NMI descent. Of the respondents, 594 were full blooded Chamorro and/or Carolinian; 165 were half Chamorro or half Carolinian; 15 were 25 percent Chamorro or Carolinian; and 8 were 25 percent Chamorro or Carolinian.
The survey results indicated that 80 percent of the respondents believe that Article XII is serving its purpose “protect [the people of NMI descent] against land exploitation and to promote their economic advancement and self-sufficiency.”
The future of Article XII is a matter that should be left for the Chamorro and Carolinian people to decide, according to 89 percent of the respondents.
However, the response was not as overwhelming on the question of whether or not Article XII restricts landowners in the CNMI from receiving a higher value for their property if they want to lease it.
Sixty percent said they don’t feel restricted by the law, while the other 40 percent said they do.
Two in five respondents projected that Article XII will remain valid for over 20 more years. Nearly 20 percent said the law will be valid for 15-19 years; 22 percent for 10-14 years; and 15.73 for 5-9 years.
Section 4 of Article XII states that only persons who are U.S. citizens or nationals and who are at least one-quarter Chamorro and/or Carolinian may own land in the Commonwealth.
