November 8, 2009
The Saipan Tribune reported that 85 percent of the total number of registered voters cast ballots yesterday. That is a remarkably high number of voters as compared to the low turnout of voters that stateside elections draw. Last year's national election drew only 56.8 percent of the registered voters nation-wide.
One way to look at the governor's race was how the Marianas Variety put it: "Sixty-four percent of the voters wanted change."
The Saipan Tribune quoted candidate Heinz Hofschneider as saying, “I am confident that people will not repeat the same mistake in potentially going for another four years of difficulties and hardships. Our team is also confident that we are reaching over to Juan Pan's and Kumoi's supporters because they will realize that we have the visions that they saw in both of them. They will come around and support us.
The Saipan Tribune quoted Fitial as saying, "“I think we stand a better and greater chance to win the runoff because I am closer to Juan Pan and Kumoi.”
The Variety also explains the run-off procedure:
One way to look at the governor's race was how the Marianas Variety put it: "Sixty-four percent of the voters wanted change."
The Saipan Tribune quoted candidate Heinz Hofschneider as saying, “I am confident that people will not repeat the same mistake in potentially going for another four years of difficulties and hardships. Our team is also confident that we are reaching over to Juan Pan's and Kumoi's supporters because they will realize that we have the visions that they saw in both of them. They will come around and support us.
The Saipan Tribune quoted Fitial as saying, "“I think we stand a better and greater chance to win the runoff because I am closer to Juan Pan and Kumoi.”
The Variety also explains the run-off procedure:
The commission should also certify the winning candidates on or before Tuesday, Nov. 17.The Republicans won all of the major races on Tinian. Races for the legislature were won by 13 Republicans, 7 Covenant Party members, and 6 independent candidates.
After the certification process, the commission must schedule a runoff 14 days between the two gubernatorial teams with the highest number of votes.
Assistant Attorney General Meaghan Hassel-Shearer said registered voters for this year’s general elections who failed to vote can still do so during the runoff.
“The important things for the public to be aware of: One, if you registered for this election but you didn’t vote you’re still registered for the runoff. So we want to make sure that everyone votes. Secondly, if a runoff occurs and they’re not going to be on island and they know that, they need to come down to the multi-purpose center and fill up an emergency ballot request,” she said.
The runoff changes the rule for the absentee ballots.
“Instead of having to be here on the day of the election, they get to be postmarked on the day of the election and we pick them up 14 days after the election,” she added.
With 14 more days after the runoff before the absentee votes are counted, Hassel-Shearer said the new governor-elect won’t be known until mid-next month.
The most expensive votes
It was reported that the CNMI Election Commission paid $10,000 for a helicopter to fly poll workers and a police officer to Agrihan to get the votes of four residents. The helicopter left at 8:30 a.m. and returned with the votes at 3:30p.m. yesterday.
The Saipan Tribune reported:
In an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday, Election Board chair Frances M. Sablan confirmed that they hired a helicopter to fly to Agrihan and get the votes of four residents there.The four votes cost $2,500 each. There has to be a more cost effective way for these residents to vote!
“That is a tradition and at the same time our obligation to make sure that we get all the votes,” Sablan said.
She said two designated poll workers were aboard the helicopter.
When asked for the exact cost of hiring the helicopter, Sablan said she is not aware of the specific amount but that it was around the $10,000 figure.
Reaction to Election
The Saipan Writer expressed disbelief with the election results and suggested that the United Nations oversee the run-off. Some phone calls and email I received expressed the same sentiments suggesting that the results could not be valid. It should be noted that none had any evidence of voter fraud.
I am not sure if the United Nations would monitor the elections as was suggested, but the U.S. Attorney Office monitored the elections in the states at many localities last year, including some in the state of Florida. I also know that the Carter Center monitors elections.
Update: Jim Benedetto from the Office of the U.S. Attorney General commented below that the elections were, in fact, monitored by the Office of the Attorney General.
Run-Off Election Scheduled
The run-off between the teams of Republican candidates Heinz Hofschneider and Arnold Palacios and the incumbent Covenant party candidates, Benigno Fitial and Eloy Inos has been scheduled for Monday, November 23, 2009.
Right now the race is on to lure those voters who cast ballots for the two losing teams. Heinz Hofschneider said that every team that ran against the incumbents, Fital and Inos, ran on the platform of change. The Marianas Variety reported:
Hofschneider noted that the two independent gubernatorial candidates, former Sens. Juan T. Guerrero and Ramon S. Deleon Guerrero, as well as their running-mates, also campaigned on a platform of change.
“I’m appealing to them and also to their supporters to come and help bring the change we have been advocating,” said Hofschneider who stayed until Sunday dawn with his supporters at his campaign headquarters in As Lito.
Hofschneider said the election results show that the people are clamoring for change.
The turnout, he added, showed how serious the voters are in exercising their democratic powers to deal with the present problems the commonwealth is facing today, which include the situation with the hospital, the utility and the Department of Public Safety.
The commonwealth’s credibility, he added, is at its lowest.
He said the GOP, like the two independent gubernatorial candidates, is also concerned about the worsening economy.
“Now all those who are for change must come together so we can address these problems with a new and better vision,” he added.
29 comments:
Who approved that helicopter ride? Who were the two poll workers who went? How much did it really cost?
If people are questioning the election, what evidence is there of some cheating? Someone should call the US AG if there is reason to have a monitor.
There is no process if people want federalization of a CNMI run-off election.
If people have evidence of election fraud they should contact the FBI or U.S. Attorney's Office.
The fact that Jane may not "believe" the results is of no consequence. As an attorney, she should know better.
I hope that cost includes the second trip for the runoff or will that be additional. By the looks for things every single vote is going to count. Maybe the gov. will send supplies and some brews and lock up the four votes..lol
Heard on KSPN the helicopter ride cost $11,000.00.
They need to set up some way to e-vote from the Northern Islands.
Hi, Wendy
I was surprised by some of the results, and found some of them downright unbelievable. And god knows I am no fan of the current administration. But it is irresponsible for anyone to suggest that there was any impropriety with the election unless they have some proof. AG Ed Buckingham, AAG Hassel-Shearer, AAG Ernest and others from the Attorney General's Office who spent their weekend monitoring the polls are professionals, and take their jobs seriously. They would never violate the sanctity of the electoral process.
It does not take that many hours to fly there and back. The charges for a chopper in the real world is about $350 per hour actual flight time.
What did the people and the pilot do for that amount of time to get four votes.
Probably had a barbecue and ate coconut crab etc. Good deal, and get paid for it.You have absentee votes from all over the world, these four people could have had their ballots picked up by a supply boat.
For the cost of the chopper it would have been better to hire a boat and send in supplies at the same time.
Do those people get mail delivered there by boat?
Hi Jim
Thanks for the comment. I am just reporting what I read on another site and what people have expressed. Actually, any question of voter fraud did not even occur to me and I agree with you that disbelief and surprise are not the same as evidence of any election fraud. I listened to the election results all day as they were reported by Magic 100 and it appeared to me that there were many people present during counting of ballots.
If the OAG had people present that would be the same as the US AG having people monitor the election. I assume that they will be there for the recount so any concern that these people are expressing may be alleviated if they know that the OAG was there and will be there.
Is offering a job in exchange for a vote election fraud?
That helicopter ride for votes is too much! Couldn't the CNMI government get someone to make the flight as a public service and just give them money for fuel? Is there a landing strip so a private plane could go there? How many miles is it anyway?
Noni 8:37
Yes. See 18 USC Sections 600 and 595, for example.
Agrigan is about 200 miles north of Saipan. It has no landing strip.
The pilot should be the only person allowed on the second trip as that would leave more room for beer and cigarettes. Perhaps he could also throw in a few bags of rice for those voters who live there and prefer isolation except when they get sick or when some politician needs a vote or two!
You mean someone suggested that the same core group of characters that bribed the US House of Representatives to block fedealization and have walked around here free, might now conspire to cheat in a CNMI election...dare say...
I AGREE WITH JANE AND WILL WRITE A LETTER TODAY ASKING FOR UNITED NATIONS EMERGENCY INTERVENTION AND OVERSIGHT TO THIS RUN OFF ELECTION.
Ron Hodges
Saipan
Hi Ron:
Can you tell us in what way you think there was cheating in the election? Or are you saying that you expect that there will be cheating in the run-off?
I put this comment on here because I know that Jane is very credible and I would like to know if anyone has any concrete evidence or is this just speculation. Of course, if there is evidence, officials should be notified.
Did Obama promise that Hillary would be Secretary of State to "buy" the votes of her supporters? Or even do so unannounced as a reward? What about getting Biden's supporters through the VP nomination?
No one offers jobs or contracts "in exchange" for votes.
Everyone knows that would be blatantly illegal.
And no, the United Nations won't intervene! But write your heart out if it makes you feel better.
The USAO and FBI will prosecute any applicable crimes.
And the CNMI OAG and OPA will both monitor elections, conducted by the CEC with its well-established reputation for integrity.
H/A may have been a point or two lower than I expected and B/E a point or two higher, but I don't find the results shocking at all.
To me, the only surprise was that B/E came in third on Rota.
I was troubled by this from the Variety about Tinian: "Two lines were formed outside the school, one for each party, and the gates were opened at around 7:05 a.m."
Noni 8:03. If you remember at the time of the "show down" between Obama and Hillary, it was suggested that at that time Obama had offered Hillary the Secretary of State Job if she threw her supporters to him.
It was all over the major news networks.
Noni
Situations such as those, where the position is not ministerial, but obviously political, are exempted from the election laws. Chief execs can hire or get rid of cabinet appointees, for example, on the basis of political affiliation, loyalty to the chief, and so forth. It is also outside the purview of the election laws when one candidate makes a deal with another to withdraw.
Right, Captain, but that was not a federal offense. At least if not an express or implied quid pro quo.
I don't claim to be an expert in this area or to have researched it. But similar considerations would apply to CNMI government officials. Presumably they are smart enough to have their lawyers research the law so they don't inadvertently commit any felonies.
Kap, noni 0:02
In regards to Tinian, that is a common practice and it keeps many people away from the voting booths.(especially the new comers and many "locals" also. They had the voting from the past two elections at the youth center so there was only one gate but then the different parties camped on each side of the intersection by the gate with the signs etc. at the point where you had to park your cars and then would cheer or boo the individuals crossing their lines.
Later it is known around the community who did not vote and also who voted for which party.
The whole Tinian process is illegal in regards to the campaign laws and from the opposing parties.
One year maybe a Fed enforcement group may show up, or maybe on this run off would be a good time to do it.
I wonder if not the same on Rota.
Tinian takes the campaigns seriously and it will split families for the long run between elections.
To the United Nations assembled,
I am writing in regard to the upcoming run-off election, November 23, 2009, in the US Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands. Given the importance of this election to the decent citizens of the CNMI, I humbly ask the United Nations to monitor, oversee, and conduct the run-off election.
Given the NMI history of corruption, the well documented record of labor and human abuses, the strong influence foreign nationals have on the local government, and the close association to organized crime, prudence dictates that we seek all precautions available to insure and protect this election process and the democratic values of our nation.
The US may not have authority or jurisdiction to protect the reliability of this election; therefore, the people of these islands need United Nations intervention. Past United States elections have warranted, and a future America may need your internationally unbiased reputation for oversight as well, and setting precedence on US soil may serve the future security of our nation and the world.
Very respectfully,
Ron Hodges
Saipan
"I AGREE WITH JANE AND WILL WRITE A LETTER TODAY ASKING FOR UNITED NATIONS EMERGENCY INTERVENTION AND OVERSIGHT TO THIS RUN OFF ELECTION."
Now I know why it is hard to get international oversight for elections that really need it -- because the UN must be constantly getting letters like this from disgruntled supporters of losing candidates around the world.
Actually noni above, this comment below is a reasonable,if not brillant idea after the Florida debacle.
"Past United States elections have warranted, and a future America may need your internationally unbiased reputation for oversight as well, and setting precedence on US soil may serve the future security of our nation and the world."
United Nations involvement in a CNMI election is absurd.
That someone would actually make such a request with a straight face should give pause to consider the radical and extreme nature of so many of the other ideas penned in his weekly missives.
UN oversight of CNMI elections is not per se absurd, and may be appropriate under certain cicrumstances. I believe there was UN monitoring of the plebescite on the Covenant, for example. However, I have not seen any better reason for it advanced in this case beyond the fact that some people were surprised by some of the results.
I never said or think that the recent election was fixed or rigged, and I have no reason to believe that it was.
I do think this election has high stakes for the NMI.
I do think the current administration is corrupt.
I do not think it would be hard to cheat.
I do think many members of the Guv's regime are thieves, liars, and have little integrity.
While we like to think most people are honest, reality says that is not true, and besides, it only takes a few rotten tomatoes to ruin the stew.
I will stick with my original opinion, the last part listed below.
"Given the NMI history of corruption, the well documented record of labor and human abuses, the strong influence foreign nationals have on the local government, and the close association to organized crime, prudence dictates that we seek all precautions available to insure and protect this election process and the democratic values of our nation.
The US may not have authority or jurisdiction to protect the reliability of this election; therefore, the people of these islands need United Nations intervention. Past United States elections have warranted, and a future America may need your internationally unbiased reputation for oversight as well, and setting precedence on US soil may serve the future security of our nation and the world." RH
"UN oversight of CNMI elections is not per se absurd, and may be appropriate under certain cicrumstances. I believe there was UN monitoring of the plebescite on the Covenant, for example."
That is because we were at the time part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands! We used to celebrate U.N. Day here for the same reason.
Now we are under the sovereignty of the United States of America. Covenant Section 101.
The UN has absolutely no jurisdiction! It would be and is a total waste of time to even think of involving them.
If you want to spin your wheels somewhat more productively, your letters should be addressed to President Obama, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, or even (if you have some actual facts) U.S. Attorney Leonardo M. Rapadas.
Post a Comment