Negotiator appointed

Northern Marianas

THE Bush Administration has filled a long-vacant position relating to the Marianas, easing some of the tensions between the island government and Washington.

Secretary of the Interior Manual Lu jan announced that the White House has selected long-time Lujan aide Timothy W. Glidden as interim Special Repre sentative for bilateral consultations with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The post is usually known as that of the 902 nego tiator; the incumbent serves as point

man for Washington as it seeks to clarify the still-evolving status of CNMI under section 902 of the Covenant.

CNMI leaders had been unhappy with the Reagan and Bush Administrations for (a) first appointing a 902 negotiator and then firing her right in the middle of a meeting, and (b) then leaving the position open for nine months.

After Assistant Interior Secretary Richard Montoya left the post to seek, in vain, a seat in the US Senate, Becky Nor ton Dunlop was given the job as nego tiator. As often happens, she was wise in

the ways of Washington, having served as an assistant to Reagan Administra tion’s controversial Attorney General, Ed Meese, but initially knew little about the islands. By the time she had become familiar with the issues, she lost her job because of a non-island related matter (she had, in another Interior Depart ment position) made some personnel moves which infuriated a ranking mem ber of the US Senate.

Fortunately Glidden has no such prob

lems. Currently the ranking legal adviser

to Secretary Lujan, Glidden had spent a dozen years working with Lujan on the staff of the House of Representatives Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, and is thus familiar with the Marianas issues. □