PR governor says status vote by 2016 - Caribbean Business

PR governor says status vote by 2016 - Caribbean Business www.caribbeanbusinessp... by Puerto Rico Business News

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:29 PM

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PR governor says status vote by 2016 - Caribbean Business
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puerto rico gov. alejandro garcía padilla said wednesday his aim is to hold another status plebiscite by the end if the current political term that runs through …


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Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status - MiamiHerald.com

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:28 PM

Geopolitical Aspects PR Political Status

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Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status MiamiHerald.com Meanwhile, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, the island's representative in Congress whose party supports seeking statehood for Puerto Rico, said he favors a referendum that simply asks voters if they want Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state. "That ... and more »

Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status - KFOX El Paso

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:28 PM

Geopolitical Aspects PR Political Status

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Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status KFOX El Paso ... before going to voters. Puerto Rico held a nonbinding, two-part referendum in November 2012 whose results have been disputed. Nonbinding referendums also were held in 1967, 1993 and 1998. Seeking statehood has never garnered a clear majority. and more »

Puerto Rico's governor pledges new plebiscite by 2016 to decide US island's ... - Fox News

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:28 PM

Political Status Of Puerto Rico - Google News

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Puerto Rico's governor pledges new plebiscite by 2016 to decide US island's ... Fox News SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico's governor says he will hold a new plebiscite by 2016 to decide the future of the island's political status. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Wednesday that his Popular Democratic Party is working on a definition ... and more »

Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status - SFGate

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:28 PM

Puerto Rican Community In Usa - Google News

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Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status SFGate Meanwhile, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, the island's representative in Congress whose party supports seeking statehood for Puerto Rico, said he favors a referendum that simply asks voters if they want Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state. "That ... and more »

Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status - WPEC

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:27 PM

Geopolitical Aspects PR Political Status

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Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status WPEC SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Puerto Rico's governor says he will hold a new plebiscite by 2016 to decide the future of the island's political status. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Wednesday that his Popular Democratic Party is working on a ... and more »

Governor Calls for Status Vote by 2016 - Puerto Rico Report

Governor Calls for Status Vote by 2016 by Associate Writer

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:24 PM

Puerto Rico Report

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In a change of strategy, Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla has announced plans to hold a status plebiscite before the end of his current political term in 2016.

The plebiscite will be Puerto Rico’s fifth vote to consider alternatives to its current territorial status.

In the most recent plebiscite, held in November 2012, 54% of voters rejected Puerto Rico’s territorial status and a majority selected statehood from among the alternatives.  Governor Padilla has disputed the vote on the basis that the ballot did not include all the “adequate alternatives to statehood – such as remaining a commonwealth.”

The governor’s Popular Democratic Party’s (PDP) platform calls for an “developed” or “enhanced”commonwealth, in which Puerto Rico would remain within the United States but have authority to reject Federal laws of its choosing and enjoy sovereign powers such as international trade and treaty authority, while also maintaining a common market and national security measures with the U.S., keeping U.S. citizenship and receiving Federal funding.  The relationship would be guided by a “mutual consent” arrangement, the terms of which neither Puerto Rico nor the Federal government could change  without the other’s agreement.  There is a long history of  Congress and Presidents of both major political parties determining that the arrangement impossible for both Constitutional andother legal and practical reasons.

Funding for the vote announced today was included in federal legislation enacted in January of 2014, which granted the territory $2.5 million for a plebiscite vote that includes status options to resolve the question of Puerto Rico’s ultimate status.  Each option on the ballot, however, must first be determined by the U.S. Department of Justice to not be in conflict with the Constitution, law and policies of the U.S.

Under the parameters of the 2014 law, the next challenge for the governor and PDP will be in creating an option for the ballot that will meet with the approval of the U.S. Justice Department.

Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status - SunHerald.com

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:23 PM

Puerto Rico Statehood - Google News

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Puerto Rico gov pledges new plebiscite on status SunHerald.com SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's governor says he will hold a new plebiscite by 2016 to decide the future of the island's political status. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla ... in 1967, 1993 and 1998. Seeking statehood has never garnered a clear ... and more »

Without a net: Oppenheimer has $4 billion in uninsured Puerto Rico debt - Reuters

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:23 PM

Puerto Rico - Google News

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Without a net: Oppenheimer has $4 billion in uninsured Puerto Rico debt Reuters Rival U.S. municipal fund managers began selling uninsured Puerto Rico debt several months ago, at prices not far below insurance-backed bonds. But OppenheimerFunds' management team has kept in place one of the mutual fund industry's biggest bets, ...

Puerto Rico Gov Pledges New Plebiscite on Status

Puerto Rico Gov Pledges New Plebiscite on Status

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:20 PM

ABC News: International

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Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Wednesday that he will hold a new plebiscite by 2016 to decide the future of the island's political status.

Garcia also said that his Popular Democratic Party is working on a definition for the enhanced commonwealth status it supports.

President Barack Obama's administration has pledged $2.5 million to finance a plebiscite, and the ballot would have to be approved by the U.S. attorney general before going to voters. Garcia previously said he would support a constitutional assembly to decide the U.S. territory's status if Obama did not act on the issue.

The U.S. Congress would have to approve any change in status.

Garcia promised that the upcoming plebiscite would include a variety of options.

Meanwhile, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, the island's representative in Congress whose party supports seeking statehood for Puerto Rico, said he favors a referendum that simply asks voters if they want Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state.

"That is the easiest and most inclusive referendum we can offer," he said.

Puerto Rico held a nonbinding, two-part referendum in November 2012 that was widely criticized for being confusing. On the ballot's first question, more than 900,000 voters, or 54 percent, said they were not content with the current commonwealth status.

A second question asked voters to choose a status. Of the approximately 1.3 million voters who made a choice, nearly 800,000, or 61 percent, supported statehood. Some 437,000 backed sovereign free association and 72,560 chose independence. However, nearly 500,000 left that question blank.

Nonbinding referendums also were held in 1967, 1993 and 1998. Seeking statehood has never garnered a clear majority, and independence has never obtained more than 5 percent of the vote.

Puerto Rico Gov Pledges New Plebiscite on Status - ABC News

Wednesday July 16th, 2014 at 7:20 PM

Puerto Rico News - Google News

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Puerto Rico Gov Pledges New Plebiscite on Status ABC News Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Wednesday that he will hold a new plebiscite by 2016 to decide the future of the island's political status. Garcia also said that his Popular Democratic Party is working on a definition for the enhanced ... and more »