Candidates’ forum set today

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will host a candidate forum for the municipal council and House of Representatives Precinct 3 candidates today, Oct. 27, 2016.

SCC will also be hosting a forum for the House of Representatives Precinct 2, Precinct 4, and Precinct 5 candidates on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, from 6pm to 9pm at the Multi-Purpose Center.

These forums are conducted in the effort to help educate voters on the issues of the islands by having the chance to hear differing opinions and solutions, and for those who wish to hear the various platforms of each candidate.

All candidates have been invited to speak. Today, Oct. 27, 2016, we have invited municipal council candidates: Luis John Castro and Diego Litulumar Kaipat to speak. We have also invited House of Representatives Precinct 3 candidates: Donald Cabrera Barcinas, Ivan Alfonso Blanco, Francisco Santos Delacruz, Jose Ilo Itibus, Blas Johnathan Tenorio Attao, Anthony Tenorio Benavente, Vicente Castro Camacho, Heinz Sablan Hofschneider, Ramon Angailen Tebuteb, Stanley Tudela Torres, Edmund J. Sablan Villagomez, and Ralph Naraja Yumul.

On Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, we have invited House of Representative Precinct 2 candidates: Rafael Sablan Demapan, John Paul Palacios Sablan, and Vicente Aldan Ichihara. We have also invited Precinct 4 candidates: George Norita Camacho, Alice Santos Igitol, Aaron Jay Murdock, Joseph Kani Ruak, and Vinson Edward Flores Sablan. We extended our invitation to Precinct 5 candidates as well: Antonio Reyes Agulto, Francisco Concepcion Aguon, James Anthony Duenas Cabrera, Antonio Muna Camacho, and Lorenzo Iglecias Deleon Guerrero.

Each candidate will be given time to answer questions submitted in advance by the general public. Time limits will be enforced fairly and equally. No questions from the audience will be allowed at the event. Questions for these candidate forums may be submitted by email to Chamber executive director Jill Arenovski at executive@saipanchamber.com. All questions will be sent to a third party for confidential review.

Tickets are available in advance at the Chamber office on the third floor of the Marianas Business Center for $10/per night and will also be sold at the door on the day of the event. Attendees should arrive before the event begins as the doors will close promptly at 6pm.

Attendees are not allowed to carry banners, hold signs or otherwise distract the speakers. Audience members may not display any promotional materials supporting any candidate, including but not limited to buttons, hats, T-shirts, etc. Other rules and procedures will be explained by the moderator at the start of the event.

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization with over 160 members to date. The SCC was founded in 1959 and incorporated in 1976. It is the largest private business organization in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, call the Chamber office at (670) 234-7150 or email administrator@saipanchamber.com. (SCC)