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Governor says monument plan should not be ‘hastily imposed’
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Posted on Oct 21 2008
After meeting with visiting federal officials, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial continues to insist that the marine monument proposal should not be hastily forced upon the people of the CNMI against the wishes of the democratically elected local government.
“The federal government should respect the will of the people of the CNMI, as expressed by the elected local government,” said Fitial.
Fitial again highlighted the strong opposition of the administration, the municipal governments, and both houses of the CNMI Legislature. The CNMI Legislature has twice passed joint resolutions opposing the monument proposal.
“I am concerned that this federal evaluation of the marine monument proposal may be more of an announcement of the federal government’s intention to impose severe environmental restrictions rather than a genuine attempt to engage in open dialogue about the true merits of the proposal,” said Fitial.
The governor received reports that specific dates and time lines are being mentioned regarding the advancement of the marine monument restrictions. Fitial is also concerned about leading questions posed during a recent marine monument forum at the Fiesta Resort.
“I am concerned that this marine monument proposal may already be a forgone conclusion for some,” said Fitial. “And this is just not right. It is undemocratic and disrespectful to our culture, economic aspirations, local self-government, and indigenous rights.”
The governor expressed concern that well-financed special interest groups may be forcing these severe restrictions on the CNMI without the consent of the elected government or the majority of residents.[B][I] (PR)[/I][/B]
