Political Reviews Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 michael bevacqua, monica c labriola, kelly g marsh, clement yow mulalap, tyrone j taitano Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 mary tuti baker, lorenz gonschor, margaret mutu, christina newport, forrest wade young The Contemporary Pacic, Volume 28, Number 1, 171–244 © 2016 by University of Hawai‘i Press 171 political reviews • micronesia 185 Guam decolonization on Guam, invoking the legacy of his great-grandfather, who The island bustled with activity on in 1917 gave a speech calling for a many fronts this last year—continuing similar political status change. Calvo efforts toward decolonization, elect- proposed holding a decolonization ing island leadership, preparing for plebiscite in 2017, the one-hundred- the role of hosting the 12th Festival year anniversary of his great-grand- of Pacific Arts in 2016, facing ongo- father’s speech. ing militarization as well as numerous The past two administrations other issues such as the return of the (including Calvo’s first term) accom- El Niño weather patterns, which has plished very little with regard to mov- meant once again contending with ing this process forward. The Commis- typhoons on a regular basis. sion on Decolonization was formed in On 1 August 2014, the United 1997; this body is meant to guide the States and the Federated States of decolonization process locally and to Micronesia signed a treaty that for- educate those qualified to vote about mally gave ownership of the deepest the three different future political part of the Marianas Trench to the status options for Guam: integration, Federated States (MV, 12 Aug 2014). free association, and independence. Guam, as an unincorporated terri- The work of the commission has long tory—or, according to the United been hampered by lack of funding. In Nations, a non-self-governing terri- recent years, international lobbying tory—was not consulted, even though efforts, website development, public this treaty affects an area that many meetings, and a series of high school have historically considered part of the debates on the topic were all proposed Mariana Islands. Some of the frustra- but never implemented. tion over Guam’s political status is The rhetoric of decolonization that the people of Guam are generally is nothing new, but there were two not included in discussions about what developments that made the gover- happens in their region, as the island nor’s 2015 State of the Island speech is legally a possession of the United significant. First, when advocating States. decolonization, Calvo broke with This frustration was manifested in a long-standing unwritten rule that the 2015 State of the Island Address the chief executive of the island not by Guam Governor Edward “Eddie” express a personal preference on the Baza Calvo; a large portion of his matter. In the past, governors and speech was devoted to “unfunded other elected officials have avoided mandates and colonialism” (Office expressing their personal choice of Governor, 16 Feb 2015). Calvo regarding Guam’s future political denounced the ways in which Guam, status and instead stated support for despite being excluded from US demo- whatever choice the native inhabi- cratic processes, is nonetheless subject tants of the island might make. In to essentially all federal laws and his speech, Calvo diverted from his decisions. He called for new energy prepared remarks and added that he to be infused into the movement for personally supported statehood. He 186 the contemporary pacific • 28:1 (2016) did note, however, that he considered 2013, meaning it could be filed again, any status other than the current one and in May 2015 the US Court of an improvement. Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Second, whereas in the past the that Davis’s case should be heard. Calvo administration only offered Although the right to self-deter- words of support, this year it allo- mination and decolonization is an cated $100,000 to the Commission internationally recognized right, the on Decolonization to be used for the United States does not recognize development of educational materials Guam’s path of self-determination as and programs to precede a plebiscite an international issue. The US federal on decolonization. Democratic Party government has long argued that the members of the Guam Legislature question of Guam’s political status is had been critical of Calvo for provid- internal to the United States. Thus the ing funding only for commission staff Davis case could have serious ramifi- members, the majority of whom were cations in terms of Guam’s decoloni- detailed elsewhere in the Government zation and whether the process will of Guam despite being listed as work- be forced to conform to narrow US ing for the commission. In June 2015, national limits instead of internation- the Commission on Decolonization ally accepted conventions. voted to provide $30,000 to each of The specter of potential unconstitu- the three political status task forces tionality has also had a negative effect in order to begin their outreach and on a once-significant breakthrough in advocacy work. moving forward on decolonization. The work of the Commission on According to international law, the Decolonization and the movement for administering power of a non-self-gov- decolonization in general has been erning territory has the obligation to overshadowed since 2011 by a lawsuit fund educational campaigns in order filed on behalf of Arnold “Dave” to help prepare the colony to take the Davis, a Caucasian US citizen living on next step in its political evolution. For Guam, who has long argued that the decades, the United States has refused plebiscite for political status violates not only to acknowledge this respon- his 14th amendment rights related to sibility but also to support the process voting, as he does not fit the category in general. of “native inhabitant” (Marsh and In 2010, the US Congress passed Taitano 2014, 173). However, “native a law that authorized the US Depart- inhabitant” is not a racial category but ment of Interior (doi) to use its rather refers to those who became US technical assistance funding for public citizens via the passage of the Organic education on self-determination in Act of Guam in 1950. It is a group Guam. This money was not guar- that was historically recognized by the anteed, but it was authorized as an United States; while primarily com- allowable expense. Obtaining this prising Chamorros, it also includes money has proven difficult, however, other ethnicities. Davis’s lawsuit was and recent statements by DOI officials dismissed “without prejudice” by hint at their hesitancy to provide any Guam’s chief district court judge in support for self-determination educa- political reviews • micronesia 187 tion because the Department of Justice the Gutierrez-Gumataotao team. In may become involved if Davis’s case the course of the campaign, the team claiming unconstitutionality goes also garnered the support of former forward. First Lady Joann Camacho, wife of Some excitement swept through former Republican Governor Felix the island as issues of being a terri- Camacho (pnc, 15 Sept 2014). Calvo tory of the US were highlighted in a campaigned on his administration’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver financial record, including the timely episode on hbo (2015). Noted was payment of income tax refunds, the visible absence of the US territories although Gutierrez criticized Calvo for of Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Vir- borrowing an additional $380 million gin Islands, and American Sāmoa in through the bond market with high virtually all aspects of US democratic debt service (MV, 9 Oct 2014). processes owing to Supreme Court Aside from the disadvantage of decisions that were made over one running against an incumbent admin- hundred years ago, when segregation- istration, the Democratic team was ist Jim Crow laws were still considered also outmatched financially. October constitutional. Territories have no star campaign expense reports showed the on the US flag; no voting representa- Calvo-Tenorio teamed had raised $1.3 tive in Congress; and no real participa- million by the midpoint of the cam- tion in the selection of the US presi- paign, while the Gutierrez-Gumatao- dent, who is the commander-in-chief tao team had only collected $193,000 under whom many territorial citizens (kuam, 27 Oct 2014). In the series serve in the US military. While some of debates held during the course of awareness may have been raised as a the campaign, Gutierrez challenged result of the hbo episode, a tangible Calvo to say whether he had given outcome has yet to be seen as of this a tax write-off to any of his family’s writing. businesses and whether he would One of the dominant events of agree to an audit of the tax records. 2014 was the island’s election for The Calvo-Tenorio team vehemently governor, lieutenant governor, the denied the charge and called the alle- Guam Legislature, the US Congress, gation “slanderous” (kuam, 28 Oct and a number of local, nonpartisan 2014). When the votes were totaled, offices. Keeping people on the edge the Calvo-Tenorio team garnered more of their seats was the fact that, just than 60 percent of the vote (gec, days before the July filing deadline, 25 Nov 2014). the Democratic Party team of former Republicans, however, did not fare Governor Carl T C Gutierrez and as well in the races for the US Con- attorney Gary Gumataotao jumped gress and the Guam Legislature. In the into the race to challenge the incum- contest for delegate to the US House bent Republicans, Governor Calvo of Representatives, incumbent Made- and Lieutenant Governor Ray Teno- leine Z Bordallo first handily defeated rio.