The CNMI in America’s two-party political system

By Juan S. Reyes

At U.S. President George W. Bush’s Inauguration on January this year, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and particularly the Republican Party of the Northern Mariana Islands charted an unprecedented course in the political history of the United States, the political development of the U.S. Insular territories and most certainly the political evolution of the Commonwealth in the historic and enviable presence, national and official recognition of the CNMI Republican Party officials in its first nationwide meeting of the Republican National Committee in the nation’s capital.

With the national recognition of the CNMI Republican Party in Washington, D.C. this year, we are also official members of the Republican National Committee, a body consisting of 168 members that serves as the board of directors for the National Republican Party. The RNC has general management responsibility of the U.S. National Republican Party under the guidance and general direction of the national convention. Each state, commonwealth, and territory has three members on the RNC, regardless of population and size of state, commonwealth or territory.

At the RNC meetings, I, as the CNMI Republican Party president, and Ms. Maria Lourdes S. Ada, as the CNMI National Committeewoman of the NMI Republican Party, were seated alphabetically by state, and the Northern Marianas will henceforth have a strong presence seat between the state of North Dakota and Ohio. In other words, the CNMI officials were able to sit next to and get to know the National Committeewoman from Ohio, Ms. Joann Davidson, who was elected national Co-Chairwoman that day. Ms. Davidson has expressed hope she’d be able to visit the Northern Marianas during her tenure as the RNC Co-Chair.

Aside from the historic recognition, participation and presence of the Northern Marianas representatives in the RNC winter meetings and caucuses in the nation’s capital, we were most impressed by the warm regards for the Northern Marianas and the local Republican Party by the committee delegates. The stateside Republican hospitality was overwhelming, indeed. The depth and magnitude of civility and humility that characterized the winter atmosphere of the over 160 RNC delegates was most inspiring, which bodes well for the Northern Marianas Republican Party. The decorum at the caucuses and meetings was quite sobering and most impressive: the sense of optimism, the positive “can do” attitude and the empathy demonstrated by our fellow RNC delegates, treating the Northern Marianas as co-equals irrespective of our political status, power or prestige, our population or our relative newcomer status and experience in a national committee setting. The RNC delegates truly hailed our hard work, diligence and perseverance in taking the historic effort to be apart of the Republican National Committee this year.

No longer a spectator in the national political process, the Northern Marianas entry into and participation in the national political arena could be the impetus for the rare opportunity afforded the Northern Marianas in making a brief presentation at a western regional breakfast on our upcoming gubernatorial and legislative election this Nov. 5, 2005. It was quite an uplifting experience, to say the least, and at the same time quite empowering to know that the CNMI’s votes for this year’s RNC national and regional officers and on resolutions really matter just the same as those of California or any other state throughout the United States who are official members of the Republican National Committee.

The presence and active participation of the Northern Mariana Republican Party at the RNC meetings and caucuses and the CNMI’s strategic placement at Republican President Bush’s second Inauguration demonstrated how critical it is to establish on first-name basis a lasting relationship with the national political machinery. Our historic experience in national politics made me realize that the Northern Marianas may have inadvertently denied itself years of golden opportunities to be a true partner with the National Republican Party on issues affecting the Commonwealth as a whole.

In essence, we have unnecessarily tied our hands behind our backs all these years, especially when we have had Republican administrations in the White House and Republican majorities in the United States Congress!

Notwithstanding our relative newcomer status in national politics, the Northern Marianas Republican Party was afforded the opportunity to select the delegation to the recent inauguration from the CNMI. The Northern Marianas was given the same quota as Guam despite Guam’s membership with the RNC for decades. Point in fact, the Northern Marianas Republican Gov. Juan N. Babauta was extended by RNC the same opportunity to recommend an equal number of participants to the Bush-Cheney inauguration as did Republican Governor Felix P. Camacho of Guam.

The Northern Marianas’ graceful and dignified presence reverberated in the nation’s capital as our Republican governor was seated in the President’s parade box, standing not too far from President George W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush as the inaugural parade passed by. As in the case with the official invitations, only Republican governors were invited into the presidential box, along with family, Cabinet and senior White House staff. A defining moment for the Northern Marianas, indeed!

Once the Northern Marianas secure a seat in the United States House of Representatives, which I am both positive and optimistic will materialize this year given our membership in the Republican National Committee and the recent introduction of the same delegate legislation introduced last year in Congress, then our very own Republican Delegate Pete Tenorio will proudly assume his rightful place in the Nation’s Capitol vested with rights, privileges, duties and responsibilities enjoyed by governors and Republican national committee members and members of Congress.

Given our recent gain in national politics, we must remain steadfastly diligent in forming meaningful partnerships with the national party and forming strategic alliances in the United States. Not a single moment must we lose sight of our unique geographic circumstance circumscribed by our limited natural resources and fiscal outlays. Neither should we be discouraged by our special conditions and circumstances, which may limit our ability in certain ways. To the contrary, it is exactly for this reason that we ought to exert extra effort in forging political linkages even more so than most of the states.

Even Hawaii Republican Governor Linda Lingle quite candidly admits that reality, notwithstanding such powerful representation in D.C. by the likes of Sen. Inouye, Hawaii has been able to do much better with the federal government with her presence.

The Northern Marianas Republicans should all be proud of their past and present gubernatorial leaders, no less their lists of achievements and accomplishments in both good and not-so-favorable economic times and conditions.

T’is the season to be thankful, appreciative and raise above petty politics and personal self-interests, and to steadfastly remained focus on the broad strategic and security interests of our Commonwealth and our nation.

Let us then all take a stand and be proud of our inalienable Republican heritage in the Northern Marianas and in the nation’s capital and throughout the United States of America!

(Juan S. Reyes is the president of the Republican Party of the Northern Mariana Islands Association. He is also the Department of Public Works secretary. Above article is an abridged version of the report he presented to the party after attending the Republican National Committee meeting in Washington D.C.)