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NMD registry gets over 2K applicants
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Posted on Jan 20 2012
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Reporter
Since the creation of the Northern Marianas Descent Registry, about 2,500 individuals have already submitted their applications and are now being verified by the Commonwealth Election Commission, according to board chair Frances Sablan and executive director Robert Guerrero yesterday.
The NMD registry was created by Public Law 17-40 in April 2011 and placed under the Election Commission. The agency started its public education campaign last week and has confirmed that the commission has already received numerous applications and inquiries.
According to Guerrero, because no legislative initiative relating to Article 12 is on the commission’s table for now, the issue about persons of Northern Marianas descent won’t have any impact on the midterm election on Nov. 6.
Frances and Guerrero explained that, for now, the registry merely aims to help Department of Public Lands deal with some land issues because the law stipulates that the commission is the authorized agency that certifies if an individual is of Northern Marianas descent.
They said tamper-proof identification cards will soon be issued to applicants who are verified to be of Northern Marianas descent. This ID is among the requirements that DPL may require in issuing agricultural homesteads and other land designation.
In verifying applications, CEC officials said they base their findings on court documents and hospital records that will prove the applicant is a resident before 1950 and became a Trust Territory citizen-regardless of one’s nationality.
