Calvo intends to veto Bill 413

by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - In an interview with KUAM this morning, Governor Eddie Calvo said he plans on vetoing Bill 413. The legislation is aimed at reforming Guam's election laws, but also includes a provision to audit the 2010 election. The vote was 8-6 straight down party lines. Governor Calvo told KUAM today that the 2010 election is over and that the bill is the work of his former opponent in the 2010 election, former Governor Carl Gutierrez. Gutierrez ran with former Senator Frank Aguon, Jr. The two filed a lawsuit challenging the results and Guam Election Commission's handling of the election process claiming it was rife with discrepancies. Governor Calvo said it's an election year and that Bill 413 it's a partisan politics, "It's unfortunate you can call it whatever you want," he added "We've talked to our lawyers there's a definite impact if this legislation were to pass, it's dangerous, but the bottom line it is this type of mischief that has been indicative of the Gutierrez Camp since the last election and this is just a continuation. I hope he can just focus on whether he wants to be a delegate or a governor."

Majority Leader Senator Rory Respicio who has been adamant about an audit of the 2010 election reacted to Governor Calvo's comments stating "maybe if the reverse were true, Governor Calvo would be the one pushing to have these audits," he added "but notwithstanding who's behind this desire to want to make sure that we have real and fair elections or this desire to want the audit of the 2010 election the people deserve to know the truth."

Meanwhile as the election lawsuit continues to move through the Superior Court, Gutierrez's former running mate Senator Frank Aguon, Jr. has asked his attorney to be removed from any association or affiliation with any ongoing court challenge that has "any semblance of the Gutierrez-Aguon 2010 gubernatorial election". As a consequence of Aguon's request, Attorney David Lujan had filed a motion with the court to be removed from the litigation. A hearing has yet to be scheduled on his request.

Should Governor Calvo veto the legislation, it would take 10 votes for an override, which means one or possibly two republican lawmakers would have to change their position on the legislation.