SAN JUAN - Puerto Rican people have voted in a referendum for three choices, status quo, total independence or become the 51st state of the United States of America (USA). The results of the referendum said the island nation wanted to be a US state.
During this time the position of Puerto Rico is the status quo, which is a US commonwealth. However, after his government declared bankruptcy, residents in the region held a referendum on Sunday local time.
According to the Election Commission (CEE), about 97.18 percent of the people voted in a non-binding referendum stating they wanted to be part of Washington.
Only 1.5 percent of voters say they will vote for independence. While 1.32 percent of voters want to remain a self-governing territory with the status of the Commonwealth of the United States.
Read: Puerto Rico Holds Referendum Polls Became US State
The leader of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Carlos Delgado, called the results of the referendum a blow to the credibility of Governor Ricardo Rossello. Delgado pointed to the results of the referendum being manipulated.
"Today, unfortunately, this election process has made this country present to the world that democracy is failing, the call to participate in democracy fails," Delgado said, as quoted by Sputnik, Monday (6/12/2017).
"What we see here is the result of manipulation, a pre-determined action not to seek consensus on the core issues of the country," he said.
The final decision of the referendum will be sent to the US Congress. As provided for in Article IV, Chapter 3, the American Constitution authorizes the US Congress to grant state status.
The Republican-run Republican Congress is predicted not to support the outcome of the referendum, especially Puerto Rico has been known as the Democratic Party's support base.
The country's authorities have announced bankruptcy some time ago. The archipelago country has suffered $ 74 billion of debt and is responsible for paying $ 49 billion in pensions. The condition has forced the US Congress to create a supervisory board that filed for bankruptcy protection for the Commonwealth in May.
The history of Puerto Rico begins with the conquest of Juan Ponce de Leon who began building the Spanish settlements on the island in 1508. The area then became a Spanish colony or colony.
Komentar