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Back Local News No word on Bill 413 veto

No word on Bill 413 veto

Tuesday, 27 Mar 2012 03:00am
BY ZITA Y. TAITANO | VARIETY NEWS STAFF
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THERE is still no word from Adelup on whether the governor will veto or sign the election reform bill into law.


Bill 413-31 was submitted to the Governor’s Office last Thursday after it was passed by the Legislature, 8-6. Sen. Tina Muña-Barnes was not present to vote on the bill because she was with a Guam Visitors Bureau delegation visiting Russia to promote Guam.

The governor last week expressed his intention to veto the measure because of the implications it would have on the community, stressing that the 2010 election is over. 

Delegate Madeleine Bordallo and Sen. Muña-Barnes have both issued statements encouraging the governor to sign the measure.

Speaker Judi Won Pat, in her weekly address, also urged the governor to sign the bill, which went through a number of amendments before it was voted on by the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rory Respicio in a letter to the Variety said the signing of the bill into law would “remove the cloud hovering [over the current administration]." Respicio said if the governor vetoes Bill 413-31, he will push for an override.

 

Comments  

 
0 #2 nita 2012-03-27 10:35
Sorry Mathew but there was WHOLESALE fraud in the 2010 election. A well-laid plan was put in place when at the outset stock ballot paper is unaccounted for. When one is to onduct a fair election election the first thing that must happen is to know and control how many ballots were printed and how many were sent ot the precincts and at the end of it all the numbers have to balance. Granted, in the past there may be a precinct or two that were off a ballot or two but in this election NOT ONE precinct ever balanced. That is why in Barrigada precincts 15b and 15c had several complaints from watchers witnessing the Calvo workers for 40 minutes displayed voting and further signing the register as if voting for other people who did not show up to vote. The signatures on these names were done by one person. This "seemingly" fraudulent activity was sent to the legal authorities but was ignored. All one needs to do is call those people who had someone vote for them if in fact they showed up at the polls. Already several were called and they're response was that they never voted that day. There is a cover-up by AG Rapadas and US Atty. Limtiaco. This 2010 election Mathew was carefully orchestrated. Let's help clear it up and channel your critism to the legal authorities for them to act. We cannot let the media down-play this situation.
 
 
+1 #1 Mathew 2012-03-27 10:14
I would characterize fraud during election season into two categories: wholesale and retail. The first occurs when there are allegations of dead folks voting, non-citizens voting, etc, because it has been orchestrated from the highest offices. (I am not just taking about Guam.) Retail fraud occurs when the GEC conducts the election shoddily, not unlike other agencies of Gov Guam, which also fail to meet its mandates. The 2010 elections, based on press reports, did not have wholesale fraud. The 2010 elections, based on press reports, did have the "usual irregularities." Also, Isn't the GEC supposed to purge voters who did not vote in two consecutive gubernatorial elections, and notifying them of said purge? Also, if someone's name is not on the election rolls, that person can request a provisional ballot, so who exactly got disenfranchised ? The election was close, but it is over, obviously. Thank the Underwood/Phillips/Charfauros bloc for sending their supporters to Gov. Calvo, just as Gov. Gutierrez sent his supporters over to Gov. Camacho. Twice. Are there things the GEC can do a better job of? Sure. If voting is such a sacred duty, and it is, make it mandatory that all citizens have to vote, as they do in Australia. Otherwise, there will always be imperfections in the system that might call into question the validity of the elections.
 

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