Governor: Status vote cut to one day
By Caribbean Business Online Staff
Gov. Luis Fortuño and legislative leaders announced late Monday amendments that would pare the proposed two-stage status plebiscite to a single ballot on Election Day next November.
The first question would be: Do you want to maintain the current territorial status?
The second question would ask voters to pick between three status choices: statehood, independence or free association.
The amendment to a single day stemmed from concerns raised during public hearings on the measure.
“The process agreed on covers the key recommendations of the White House task force,” Fortuño said in a statement issued late Monday night.
“It also addresses the concerns of various groups and members of all political parties who took part in the discussion fomented by the Legislature. People asked for a simple, fair and inclusive process.”
The original plebiscite bill filed by La Fortaleza called for the first part of a two-step plebiscite to be held on Aug. 12, 2012. If a second status vote was required, it would have taken place on the same day as the general election in November 2012.
The first referendum would have asked voters whether they want to maintain the current commonwealth status under the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution or whether they prefer a non-territorial option.
If more voters checked that non-territorial option, the second vote would be held giving people three status options: statehood, independence or free association.
Earlier Monday, Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz dropped his plan to amend the plebiscite legislation to avoid holding a status vote on Election Day next November, but said Fortuno will be accountable for the results.
Rivera Schatz opposed having a status vote on Election Day, contending the general vote and the status plebiscite are too important to be held together. Other New Progressive Party leaders have said having the status vote on Election Day could make it the target of a “punishment vote” by voters disgruntled with Fortuño.
“The leader of the NPP is Luis Fortuño and he is assuming all of the responsibility,” Rivera Schatz said.
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Senate chief drops opposition to Election Day status vote
By : EVA LLORENS
Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz has dropped his plan to amend plebiscite legislation to avoid holding a status vote on Election Day next November, but said Gov. Luis Fortuno will be accountable for the results.
Rivera Schatz opposes having a status vote on Election Day, contending the general vote and the status plebiscite are too important to be held together. Other New Progressive Party leaders have said having the status vote on Election Day could make it the target of a “punishment vote” by voters disgruntled with Fortuno.
“The leader of the NPP is Luis Fortuno and he is assuming all of the responsibility,” Rivera Schatz said.
The status calls for the first part of a two-step plebiscite to be held on Aug. 12, 2012. If a second status vote is required, it will take place on the same day as the general election in November 2012.
The first referendum will ask voters whether they want to maintain the current commonwealth status under the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution or whether they prefer a nonterritorial option.
If more voters check that nonterritorial option, a second vote would be held giving people three status options: statehood, independence or free association.
A vote on the bill enabling the status plebiscite is slated to be held in the Senate on Tuesday, according to NPP officials. The legislation is not expected to see significant changes, but officials are considering removing any reference to the commonwealth as a colonial status from the bill. During a Senate hearing Monday, Popular Democratic Party Sen. Antonio Fas Alzamora, a former Senate president, opposed having the second of the two-tier vote on Election Day and called for the elimination of the word “colony” from the bill.
He suggested that the first vote should give voters the option of a territorial status that falls under the U.S. territorial clause or a permanent non-territorial status.
He then proposed his own definition of commonwealth status for the second vote. Fas Alzamora proposed a pact of association, which he said is different from free-association.
“Puerto Rico and the United States agree to replace the Federal Relations Law for an associated pact that is not subject to the territorial clause with permanent citizenship" in which the United States and Puerto Rico will decide "which powers will the United States keep and which powers will be delegated to Puerto Rico.”
Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi said the two votes should be held on Election Day. “Our people should be allowed to decide if they want the current status and express their status preference,” he said.
He insisted that the plebiscite has to be held no later than 2012. On the other hand, he also said the first of the two votes, which asks voters if they want to change the current political status, is the most important of the two votes because it could force Congress to act.
While he did not expect commonwealth supporters to abstain from the vote, doing so could cause Congress not to take the plebiscite results seriously. In that regard, he opposed the inclusion of the world “colony” in the legislation.
