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BARELY 3 MONTHS SINCE PARTY REORGANIZATION
Democratic Party chairman quits, goes to Babauta’s team to run as representative
Benjamin M. Cepeda stepped down as chairman of the Democratic Party and plans to seek a House of Representatives seat representing Precinct 1 under the independent gubernatorial team of former governor Juan N. Babauta and former senator Juan S. Torres.
Cepeda’s resignation comes barely three months since the Democratic Party reorganized, elected its new set of officers, and launched a membership drive.
Sources said Cepeda stepped down over “infighting” within the party, and that he was “not given respect that he deserves as chairman.”
Former representative Rosiky F. Camacho has replaced Cepeda as the Democratic Party’s new central executive committee chairman, Democrat Jesse Taisague confirmed yesterday.
The Babauta camp separately confirmed with Saipan Tribune yesterday Cepeda’s move to their fold. “We welcome everybody,” one of them said in a phone interview.
Top officials with the Babauta camp did not want to elaborate, and asked that the media contact Cepeda directly. Cepeda could not be reached as of press time yesterday. He previously ran for Precinct 1 but didn’t win.
In mid-March, the Democratic Party officially announced their gubernatorial candidates for the November elections: candidate for governor Edward M. Deleon Guerrero, a longtime Democrat and former Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director, and former representative Daniel Quitugua as lieutenant governor bet. At the launching, Cepeda said the Democratic Party took the lead in exploring options to improve political and economic opportunities in the ‘50s to the ‘80s.
Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon, Democratic Party candidates led by Deleon Guerrero and Quitugua, along with delegate candidate Andrew Salas, issued a press release stating their stand on Article 12 or the land alienation provision of the NMI Constitution.
In the press release, they said they are “vehemently opposed to any attempt, by anyone, to change, amend or remove the mandatory restrictions on land alienation in Article 12…” The full text of the Democratic Party candidates’ press release will be published in full in Wednesday’s paper.
