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Tomorrow is last day for filing of candidacies • Gov’t employee seeking public office should file a leave
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Posted on Sep 21 1999
The list of political candidates for the Nov. 6 mid-term elections is almost complete, and the Board of Elections will be ready to certify all nominating petitions by Thursday, BOE Executive Director Gregorio Sablan said yesterday.
Sablan reminded other prospective candidates that tomorrow is the last day for filing of nominating petitions.
Sablan said the board is awaiting three more persons to turn in their formal petitions.
He said Jose B. Hocog, Henry San Nicolas and Norman S. Palacios have expressed their intention to join the race but have yet to formalize their bids.
Hocog, a Tinian Republican, will be the challenger to incumbent Democrat Sen. David M. Cing.
San Nicolas and Palacios are both targeting a seat in the House of Representatives for District 5.
The board will be accepting nominating petitions until 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Sablan also reminded government employees who are running for public office to take a leave of absence from their work as soon as their candidacies are certified.
The law provides that “CNMI employees become official candidates for office when the Board of Elections certifies their candidacy.”
“All such employees who are not elected officials must take annual leave or go into leave without pay status,” reads a pamphlet being distributed by the Office of the Public Auditor.
This policy covers independent service contractors, consultants, professional service contractors and full-time and part-time personnel.
“Those who are holding elected positions such as senators and House members are exempted from this provision,” Sablan said.
The elections board has identified at least three candidates who are working for the government.
Two of them have been certified as official candidates of the Reform Party. They are Vicente H. Sablan, who works at the Department of Public Safety, and Joseph M. Palacios, who works at the Governor’s press secretary’s office. Sablan and Palacios are seeking seats in District 2 and District 1, respectively.
Sablan said department heads concerned have already been notified of their employees’ participation in the forthcoming political exercise. (MCM)
