Ben, Tim to seek re-election

Using the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Covenant as a fitting backdrop, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez announced yesterday their intention to run for re-election in next year’s polls.

With over 100 supporters in attendance during the Covenant Day celebration at the Minachom Atdao pavillion in Oleai, Fitial and Villagomez vowed to rid the CNMI of its utilities problem and usher in a new era of economic growth if voted in for a second term under the administration’s Covenant Party.

“We are facing difficult times but I always believe that the most constant thing in the world is change. There is bound to be a change in our present economic situation, change that will involve better times,” said Fitial.

The islands’ chief executive conceded that the Commonwealth is currently not only in economic recession but depression but countered that, like everything else in the world and in history, the economy goes in cycles. He promised that the light at the end of the very dark tunnel is coming soon.

“The very first thing, I would like to [continue] is the effort the lieutenant governor and I already initiated in curing the CUC crisis or sickness with the support of the Legislature,” he said. “We still want to privatize CUC. We’re still going ahead with that plan and we will not change [it]. The lieutenant governor and I strongly believe that the most viable cure now is to bring in people or companies who are experienced in that field. [Those] who have been working on that field—power generation, transmission, operation, development—to help us cure our CUC crisis.”

He vowed: “I will cure the CUC crisis before the end of our next term.”

Fitial also trumpeted his political will, expertise in bringing in foreign investments, and good health as reasons for him to seek a second term.

“I strongly believe that I still have the political will and the resources—meaning I still have business connections in the world—that would help me and my administration, together with the lieutenant governor, to stimulate the economic growth we need to turn the economy around,” said Fitial. “I’m very healthy now [and] my circulation is going at around 100mph so I’m ready to rock and roll.”

Villagomez, for his part, assured the people of the CNMI that he and Fitial will continue to work double-time to fix the islands’ problems at the soonest possible time.

“We just have to do the right thing, which is to raise the economy, bring it up to where it should be and also address the fuel prices that are presently [bringing] hardships to the people of the Commonwealth,” he said. “I’m not looking at what to do in the next term or whenever that happens. What I’m concerned about is solving the problem now and that will prove if we are worthy of being re-elected or not.”

Covenant Party chair Alvaro Santos said that the party is behind the Fitial-Villagomez re-election tandem and believes the people of the CNMI will give them a fresh mandate to continue to have accountability and transparency in governance.

While the Covenant Day celebration was organized by its namesake party, the Covenant Party, Rep. Raymond Palacios said he was disappointed that only party supporters and members attended the event.

The first-term congressman said the event was supposed to be a bipartisan gathering of the islands’ leaders and community members to celebrate the signing of U.S. Public Law 94-241, which was signed by President Ford in March 24, 1976.