Congressional bill calls for preliminary plebiscite (Puerto Rico)

[Bacchus39]

the Castro boys need to have a talk with the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico if they are so interested in fighting for their hermanos in PR.




http://www.independencia.net/noticias3/prds_rf_congrBill_prelimPlbsc17may09.html

Congressional bill calls for preliminary plebiscite
Robert Friedman/Puerto Rico Daily Sun
San Juan, Puerto Rico - May 17, 2009

WASHINGTON - The status bill that will be introduced next week in the U.S. House will call for a preliminary plebiscite on the current relationship before voters get to choose a final status, according to Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Director Richard Figueroa.


"A vote should be held on whether or not to continue their cutrent disenfranchised territorial status," the PRFAA chief said in a column published Thursday in the Florida newspaper.

"Should the people of Puerto Rico decide in that vote that 111 years of territorial status is enough for a transition to a fully representative government, then they would be ready for the next step," Figueroa wrote.

He added: "Next would be to offer. Puerto Ricans the non-territorial political status choices that are available and are sanctioned by the United Nations for territories: integration (statehood), independence and free association (i.e. a relationship negotiated between mutually sovereign equals.)"

The Popular Democratic Party has said it would strongly oppose any new status bill that calls first for a yes-or-no plebiscite on the current U.S.--Puerto Rico relationship. If a majority votes for a change, the PDP is concerned that the current commonwealth relationship or an improved version would not be a choice for voters in a second plebiscite.

PDP President Hector Ferrer has asked Pierluisi to hold up on the bill until the populares are invited to talks and a consensus is reached on the measure.

But the resident commissioner appears ready to introduce the bill, possibly as early as Monday or Tuesday.

The Acevedo Vila administration played a key role in keeping the status bill introduced in the last Congress from reaching a floor vote in the House. Its officials are expected to again call on allies in Congress to oppose the legislation.