by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - The Democratic Party of Guam central executive committee met last night for a special meeting to discuss several vacancies within the party's leadership.

According to treasurer Carlos Pangelinan, the CES is allowed to appoint a vice chairman position and with that appointed Darryl Taggerty, he will also serve as acting chairman as well. Pangelinan says Taggerty now has the authority appoint a new executive director but is still consulting with party members before making an official selection. As we reported former party chair Carl Gutierrez resigned last year after deciding to run for public auditor, vice chair Gloria Nelson took over the top position until her passing last October. And just this past week Carlo Branch resigned as the party's executive director. Pangelinan says Taggerty has been an active member of the democrat party for years.

The CES discussed whether to have a special election in to fill in the remaining vacancies but decided to wait until august when a regular election of all officers will be held. Meanwhile, the party also chose a replacement for Chris Carillo as a democratic member on the Guam Election Commission. Carillo was fired by Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz last week after he was arrested on drug charges. Aside from being terminated he resigned from the GEC. Pangelinan says Alice Taijeron was chosen as a replacement. Taijeron previously served as a commissioner.