A draft petition to recall the Northern Marianas Governor Eloy Inos has been withdrawn after he decided to commute the one-year jail sentence of his predecessor Benigno Fitial.
The Governor of the Northern Marianas, Eloy Inos. Photo: CNMI Governor's Office
Last month Fitial pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office and conspiracy to commit theft of services while he was the governor in 2013.
He was given a one-year prison sentence, a $US6,000 fine and a lifetime ban from the CNMI public service.
The man behind the online petition, Glen Hunter, says he would have gone ahead with it if Mr Inos pardoned Fitial.
Mr Hunter says he is not happy about the removal of Fitial's jail time, but he is very glad that a full pardon was not granted.
He says many in the CNMI community feel strongly that Fitial should not have been given any special treatment at all, and if anything should have been treated more harshly because of the position he held.
A recall could have forced Mr Inos to resign.
