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Froilan: Incumbents are endangered species
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Posted on Nov 17 2000
Former Gov. Froilan Tenorio, who is seeking a political comeback through the Reform Party, said he has a good chance of clinching the gubernatorial post as he predicted the defeat of the incumbents due to their failure to uplift the economic plight of the people.
“The incumbents are endangered species in the next elections,” said the acid-tongue former local chief executive, “They haven’t done a damn thing. Why should people re-elect them?”
Mr. Tenorio explained that the results of the Republican open primary and the last elections were strong indications that the voters wanted change especially at this time when the economy is still in the doldrums. “The people are getting smarter. Voters can’t tolerate people who just don’t know what to do,” he said.
Mr. Tenorio, then a Democrat, ran but lost in the 1997 three-way gubernatorial race to his uncle, incumbent Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, a Republican.
The present administration has blamed the former governor for much of the troubles confronting the Commonwealth government such as financial woes and bloated bureaucracy.
But the ex-CNMI leader said lack of planning by the incumbents have made it more difficult for the CNMI people to cope with the economic situation.
“Much of the problems that we have are caused by the GOP,” according to Mr. Tenorio, whose tenure was marked with several spats with the Republican-controlled Legislature. “I think I have done a lot but I could have done more if not for the Legislature.”
Mr. Tenorio said he hopes to convince the people to try “new faces” and “put me back in office” to pull the islands out of economic distress.
“I am confident that I can work better with the Legislature if the voters elect new people. The incumbents will have a tough time to convince the voters this time,” he said.
