Internet causes problems on DA election

The Internet outage that the CNMI has been experiencing the last two weeks has stalled the election of the next district administrator as election board chair Robert Guerrero has yet to send a packet to Rota.

Intensifying the CNMI’s Little League baseball program and helping Rota and Tinian raise their level should be the next district administrator’s focus. (Jon Perez)

Guerrero, who supervised the election last July 3, said in an interview that he needs to send a packet to Rota.

“Internet has been the issue that’s why there’s still no DA. We can’t do anything about it since I need to send it via email. We’re just waiting for the connection to get fixed and return to normal,” said Guerrero in a telephone interview.

“Hopefully our Internet connection gets better next week so a decision could be made and we finally have a DA,” added Guerrero.

Former DA and current Department of Public Works Secretary James Ada and Northern Marianas Sports Association executive director and Saipan Baseball League coordinator Tony Rogoilfoi are the two candidates vying for the post to be vacated by Mike Borja.

Guerrero said Little League headquarters in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania will decide who will be the next CNMI DA after voting last July 3 ended up 1-1.

Representatives of the chartered Little Leagues of Saipan and Rota voted for the next district administrator. Tinian failed to vote since they failed to get chartered this year.

“We just have to wait for the decision,” Guerrero said.

Both Ada and Rogolifoi have served in various capacities under the Saipan Little League program and have been involved in baseball for most part of their lives.

The two candidates submitted their credentials, letter of intent, and other requirements to election board chair Guerrero where it will also be forwarded to Little League headquarters.

Ada has been involved with the CNMI Little League program since the ’90s and served as the Commonwealth’s district administrator in mid-2000s before being replaced by Borja. The DPW secretary was also the tournament director when Saipan hosted the Asia Pacific regionals in 2008 and this year.

Rogolifoi, on the other hand, was a former director of the now defunct Division of Sports and Recreation and has been the SBL coordinator for more than 10 years now. He guided the CNMI to gold medals in the 2006 Saipan Micronesian Games and the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia, and became NMSA executive director when the sports organization became a private entity.