Transition talks begin

Transition talks have begun between the administrations of Gov. Juan N. Babauta and governor-elect Benigno R. Fitial.

Headed by lieutenant governor-elect Timothy P. Villagomez, the next administration’s transition team met yesterday morning with its counterpart from the current administration. Babauta had assigned special assistant for administration Tom Tebuteb to represent him in the talks.

The meeting was arranged at the request of Fitial and Villagomez, who informed Babauta Monday that they had formed their transition team.

“We are aware that the period for transition is limited, therefore, would like to initiate an immediate meeting to commence the process for an orderly transition,” Fitial and Villagomez said.

The new administration will assume office on Jan. 9, 2006.

According to the two elected officials, the topics to be discussed at the meeting would be the incoming leadership’s transitional policies and procedures.

They also planned to identify all departments, offices, boards, commissions, instrumentalities, or other entities of the Executive Branch so that a schedule of visit to each agency could be ascertained.

Fitial and Villagomez also said their group would apprise Babauta’s team as to which committee member of their transition team would handle each office.

According to election statute, the Office of the Governor-elect will be established after the Board of Elections certifies the election of a governor who is different from the incumbent.

Such office will be staffed by temporary employees appointed by the governor-elect. But none of these transition employees will be considered members of the civil service.

Entities of the Executive Branch should make available all files and records to the incoming administration, except personal working files, confidential files of the governor’s appointees, and other files to which access is prohibited by law. If requested, Executive Branch agencies should also extract specific information from such files and records, and provide sufficient staff to the Office of the Governor-elect.

Furthermore, the special assistant for administration may provide the Office of the Governor-elect necessary services and facilities, including a furnished office space, if such are available.