Before the governor Alejandro García Padilla announced today how the People's Democratic Party (PDP) will route the status debate, should review the different views that exist in the community around the development of so-called Commonwealth (ELA).
The last time the PPD conducted a thorough analysis of the issue was through a committee of status that gave a report to the community on March 30, 2011 and never processed in the Governing Board of the PPD, which yesterday held its first meeting in a year.
The sovereigntist claim that this report is the starting point of discussions, it incorporates many of the proposals of partnership pact Senator Antonio Fas Alzamora, claiming that Puerto Rico longer a U.S. territory and enter agreement sovereign partnership with the federal government.
A summary of the testimony presented at the public hearings of the committee is part of the report.
Decide the Legislature of Puerto Rico to call a plebiscite of four alternative status or Status Assembly in PPD first debate will be the most difficult to agree details of a new definition aimed at improving or developing the current ELA.
Here are some of the positions of 10 of the testimony before the committee of PDP and status reflected in the report of March 2011. Speak for themselves and reflect the task you need to do that game, facing a new process status:
1. Luis Sánchez Betances, now former attorney but back then as a lawyer who has advised the PPD:
* You can not speak of the sovereignty of the ELA. The Covenant of the premise that the ELA has colonial deficiencies; by definition, does not have sovereignty. "
* On the proposal for a partnership agreement with the U.S. can not be altered without mutual consent: It seems contradictory to the principle of sovereignty which is based on international law 'governing any agreement provided that it was adopted with the consent of two peoples'.
* I doubt if there is free movement of residents of Puerto Rico to the United States of America and its territories some kind of limitation to allow the U.S. border.
* The jurisdiction of the federal courts as interpreters of the maximum U.S. Constitution will not be abdicated under some formula. The proposed (in the Covenant Association Senator Fas Alzamora) principle appears to limit that authority so it is not viable.
2 Cesar Miranda, now Attorney General and former Secretary General of PPD.:
* Favored fully the proposed partnership pact Senator Fas Alzamora.
* The PPD must continue to aspire to a development of 'non-colonial, non-territorial' ELA.
* Lessons and realities: Independence died as an alternative; Puerto Ricans want a permanent union with the United States; we want American citizenship; Puerto Ricans appreciate the sense of security, funds and benefits provided by U.S..
* Leave the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution has practical value for people.
3 Eduardo Bhatia, current president of the Senate.:
* The Puerto Rico national identity is central to the discussion of status.
* The PPD is not an ideological party, left or right, is a pragmatic party, to achieve a middle class.
* To achieve the development of ALS, the estadolibrismo must have full-time presence in USA.
4 Cirilo Tirado Rivera, Senator PPD.:
* Puerto Rico is a U.S. colony.
* Proposed partnership agreement of at least 15 years.
* There is no way of putting economic development in Puerto Rico under the current ELA.
5. José Alfredo Hernández Mayoral, federal affairs secretary PPD:
* The presentation of 'pacts prefabricated' doomed to failure by management to develop estadolibrismo commonwealth. It requires parties sit down to negotiate first.
* Absent Luis Muñoz Marín and Rafael Hernández Colón, the PDP made the mistake in 1998, carried away by the opposition, to approve an attempted definition has brought severe consequences to attempts to develop ALS.
* Was a mistake PDP asserting its aspiration to a 'non-colonial, non-territorial' ELA. The 'non-territorial' is a trap we have fallen into the PPD.
* The U.S. Constitution does not allow, in the development of ALS, the power to enter into international agreements is recognized. But it is possible to reach an agreement with the United States to prepare a protocol to reach certain international agreements consistent with federal authority.
. 6 Charlie Hernandez, PPD spokesman in the House:
* The rhetoric of 'permanent union' has forced many to aspire to statehood.
* Puerto Rico is not going to develop economically to the stability created by the current relationship as is.
* The development of ALS is a matter of dignity.
. 7 Miguel Hernandez Agosto, former Senate President and PDP:
* The ELA has not grown at all since 1952
* The way we have historically raised the federal funds and U.S. citizenship are obstacles to our right to self determination.
* Federal law fall upon us as 'missiles', whether good or bad.
* There must be an effort of political education for the people to lose fear of gaining power in their relationship with the United States.
. 8 Manager Luis Vega Ramos:
* The PPD should not repeal institutional positions but clarify.
* Sovereignty is key to the development of ALS.
* The non-territorial development ELA; specific delegation of powers and limiting the authority of the United States in Puerto Rico were not anti-American and separatist proposals: proposals are pro Puerto Rico.
* The PPD should insist on the Constitutional Assembly Status.
9 Roberto Prats, president of Democrats on the island and former senator.:
* Fully licensed It signed the testimony of Hernandez Mayoral.
* The term 'treaty' then place us outside the supremacy clause of the federal Constitution, as with the agreements of free association.
* Supports for the ELA a 'new federal law relationships', where it is clear that it would replace the old organic laws whose provisions remain in force in existing federal law relationships.
10 Josean Santiago, Comerio mayor and president of the Association of Mayors of the PPD.;
* We must insist on the Constitutional Assembly Status as soon assume the PPD power in 2013.
* Seeks to Puerto Rico you gain powers gradually strengthen us economically, to reduce dependence on the United States.
* We delivered to the Commission a document signed by 11 mayors endorsing the PPD Association Pact proposed by Fas Alzamora is adopted by the PDP as party base document.
