Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands)

The Covenant Party was a political party in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) advocating governmental and financial reform. It was named after the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, Act of Mar. 24, 1976, Pub. L. 94-241, 90 Stat. 263, codified as amended at 48 U.S.C. § 1801 note. In the legislative elections of 2003, the Covenant Party won nine of eighteen seats. The party mostly made up of members from the Republican Party, but many prominent Democrats would also join the party.[2] In the 2005 general elections, the Covenant Party increased its position as one of the strongest parties in the Commonwealth when Benigno R. Fitial, the party's gubernatorial candidate, won the election. The Covenant Party won seven of eighteen seats in the commonwealth's House of Representatives and three of nine seats in its Senate. In the Commonwealth Legislature 2007 elections, the Covenant Party won only four of twenty seats in the House of Representatives.[3]

Covenant Party
PresidentGreg Camacho
FounderBenigno Fitial[1]
Founded2001
Merged intoRepublican Party
IdeologyPopulism
Political positionBig tent
Colors  Green
  White

In December 2010, Governor Benigno Fitial proposed that the Covenant Party merge with the Republican Party.[4][5] Republican and Covenant Party leaders rejected the proposal, and the Covenant Party contested the 2012 midterm elections.[1][6] Governor Benigno Fitial would leave the Covenant Party and rejoin the Republican Party, passing leadership to Eloy Inos.[7] In 2012, the Covenant Party endorsed then-independent Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan whom Benigno Fitial wanted replaced with a Republican in the 2012 elections.[7]

In September 2013, Governor Eloy Inos again tried to merge the Covenant Party with the Republican Party.[8] The party is considered de facto dissolved when Inos departed the party and rejoined the Republican Party in 2013.[9] Many left the party soon after, most moving to the Republican Party, making it a de facto Republican Party absorption of the Covenant Party.[10] On August 19, 2021, during an interview on the 2022 gubernatorial election, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios mentioned that the Republican Party did vote to approve the merger in 2013.[9]

References
  1. Eugenio, Haidee (March 25, 2011). "10-year-old Covenant Party to field candidates for 2012 midterm polls". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013.
  2. Staff, Variety News. "Editorials | What's in a name". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  3. Dandan, Zaldy. "Variations | If you're keeping score". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  4. "Covenant, GOP to merge", Saipan Tribune, 2010-12-10 Archived 2012-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Center, Pacific News (2010-12-12). "CNMI's GOP Cautious About Proposed Merger With Covenant Party". PNC News First. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  6. Eugenio, Haidee (October 27, 2012). "Today's rally brings together Covenants, Dems, independents". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  7. Staff, Variety News. "BREAKING NEWS: Inos, Covenant Party endorse Kilili". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  8. Eugenio, Haidee (September 19, 2013). "Inos, Covenant Party members rejoining GOP". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  9. Erediano, Emmanuel T. "Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios will 'most likely' run for governor with Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang as his running-mate". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  10. "Lee Pan wants to be next Saipan mayor". Saipan Tribune. 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-12-19.


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