Inos hints at Cabinet reshuffle

Inos

Armed with a fresh mandate from the people following his win in Nov. 21’s runoff election, Gov. Eloy S. Inos hinted that a Cabinet reshuffle maybe in the offing and that he will ask department heads to submit their courtesy resignations soon.

The governor said the courtesy resignations would have to come after the Commonwealth Election Commission certifies his and his running mate, Senate President Ralph DLG. Torres, win last Friday.

“They will all be asked to submit a courtesy resignation. We’ll ask them when we’re ready. We don’t want to ask them for their courtesy resignations when we still don’t have any replacements and people ready to take over,” said Inos Tuesday.

The governor said the makeup of the new Cabinet would be done in consultation with Torres.

“I have to sit down with the lieutenant governor-elect. There could be some major changes so I have to sit down with [him]. We’ve been talking about this thing but we just want to make sure that we’re all in agreement with what we want to restructure.”

While there may be changes, Inos said there’s also a chance that current Cabinet official will be retained. “Of course Cabinet members can be reappointed.”

Not all new appointees would necessarily come from the GOP camp, with Inos saying he will follow through with his promise to try and appoint members of other political parties.

“We’re open to getting Cabinet members from the NMI Democratic Party and other camps of losing gubernatorial candidates. This is an all-inclusive effort. We will also reach out to Heinz’s [Hofschneider] camp,” said Inos.

One Cabinet member the governor is already missing is former Commerce secretary and now senator Sixto Igisomar, who took his oath only last week.

Igisomar said in jest that he thought he missed early Monday’s Cabinet meeting, only to realize that he’s already a senator from Saipan.

Inos also took shot at Igisomar, saying that he should stop coming to the Governor’s Office already and pointed to the Legislature as his new place of work. Igisomar attended Tuesday’s proclamation signing designating November as Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month.

The CEC cannot certify the Inos-Torres tandem pending the counting of absentee ballots, which under the law can come as late as Dec. 5.

“It [courtesy resignations] would have to be submitted after I get certified by the Commonwealth Election Commission when the absentee ballots come in on Dec. 5,” said Inos.

The NMI Republic Party tandem amassed a 1,599-vote lead against independent and former speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider and his running mate, former Senate floor leader Ray N. Yumul.

Asked if Hofschneider already gave him a call to concede the runoff election, Inos said his opponent hasn’t reach out to him yet.