A new delegate

The news of a possible candidate for the delegate seat to the U.S. Congress seems to flag the attention of the present representative. Unfortunately, the rhetoric mounts in Delegate Gregorio Sablan’s statements. As he puts it, “It doesn’t change anything for me because I am not going to be running against anyone. I am running so I can continue the work we have been doing for our people and our Northern Mariana Islands.” This is not surprising and when you delve a bit into what it means, Mr. Sablan is really saying to the voters of the CNMI that it would be a mistake if he is re-elected to the U.S. House of Representative. He also challenging voters to justify who is best to represent them in the U.S. Congress. All these elements of election would be sanctioned and carried on by the tradition of a democratic society, and so be it.

Here is the deal on Mr. Sablan’s re-election aspiration. As a voter and in answer to his probing question, who is best to represent the CNMI and the indigenous people of the Northern Mariana Islands? The logical response to this is relative. I cannot judge one way or the other that his mode of representation on my behalf in the U.S. Congress is the best ever until the indigenous voters of the Northern Mariana Islands send a new representative to the U.S. Congress. This is the only way that the indigenous voters would have made the logical conclusion that his representation and its idiosyncrasies did in fact turned out to be the best one. And so, without a comparative advantage or disadvantage, I would not make an intelligent evaluation to arrive at the conclusion affirming his way of representation was the only and best one the indigenous people of the Northern Mariana Island would have had.

The second point here is based on the statement made by Delegate Sablan. He said that voters gave him the opportunity to hold the office of delegate to the U.S. Congress. An opportunity to do something of material value is a possibility measured by a level of probability or chance, but at the same time it is not subject to a guarantee. In essence, the idea of having other candidates on the ballot this election year is a welcome desire by Delegate Sablan. The shadow to his public disclosure on this has its opposite effect, at least to me as an indigenous voter. What I thought the rhetoric meant in Delegate Sablan’s message was that the indigenous voters of the Northern Marian Island should elect a new delegate to the U.S. Congress because how else would they evaluate who the best delegate is if one does not engage or do a comparative analysis. Two terms of congressional work is credible enough for our purpose, and let a new delegate to the U.S. Congress perform in the same way that opportunity was bestowed to Delegate Sablan. The 2012 election is an adjustment situation for the indigenous people of the Northern Mariana Island, and Delegate Sablan is urging us all to make that ultimate decision. We can only logically make that comparison if we send a new delegate to the U.S. Congress this year. I do not favor any particular party or candidate at this time, but I am glad that Delegate Sablan is urging all of us to send a new, equally if not more qualified, delegate to the U.S. Congress for the good of the indigenous people of the Northern Mariana Islands. Your readers would ascertain that it was Delegate Sablan that suggested sending a new delegate to the U.S. Congress is the thing to do and with this proposition, why not?

Francisco R.Agulto
Chalan Kanoa, Saipan