13 Jan 2015

CNMI House of Representatives speaker elected

7:32 am on 13 January 2015

Representative Joseph Deleon Guerrero has been elected speaker of the 19th CNMI House of Representatives after winning a showdown for the lower chamber's leadership against Representative Ramon Tebuteb.

Mr Deleon Guerrero won 11 votes to 9, yesterday.

He and his four-person block of independents forged an alliance with Representative. Rafael S. Demapan and his six other representatives from the NMI Republican Party.

Under the deal, Mr Deleon Guerrero will serve as speaker until January 2016 with Demapan taking over the last years of the 19th House.

Demapan was also elected vice speaker yesterday with another GOP lawmaker, Rep. George Camacho, taking the floor leader post.