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Thursday, March 11, 1999



Sovereignty convention
delegates deny rumor

By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

Tapa

Delegates elected in January to convene a native Hawaiian convention this summer said today they have neither decided nor discussed postponing the convention until next year.

Moreover, they don't know where that news came from.

"The first time I ever heard of this is when I read the paper this morning," said West Honolulu delegate Sesnita A.D. Moepono.

"You know when you wake up in the morning and someone in your family says, 'Hey, your convention is postponed until next year.' You kind of go, 'Huh?' It's not the greatest feeling," Moepono said.

Delegate Dante Carpenter, former Big Island mayor, said there was never any discussion about postponing the convention, and he hopes the news is wrong. The delegates last met Feb. 12-14 at Kamehameha Schools, but no one talked about moving this summer's planned convention to next year, a decision he said must be made by all 85 delegates.

"Nobody speaks for anybody but everybody, in this case," Carpenter said.

Koolaupoko delegate Melvin Kalahiki said he's appalled at the news if it is true. He said the delegates have been working hard on the nuts and bolts of a convention for this summer. He spoke with members of the executive committee today and was assured no one had made such decisions.

Myron "Pinky" Thompson, chairman of the executive committee, could not be reach for comment this morning.

Kailua delegate Liz Ho'oipo Pa said several delegates are surprised and concerned about the news. She said any decision to postpone the convention would be up to the delegates and not Ha Hawaii, which organized and held the Jan. 17 elections.



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