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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 25 July 2024
Puerto Rico finalizes details of upcoming referendum on political

status amid criticism over cost

By DÁNICA COTO 3.2 million U.S. citizens lack
Associated Press equality and noted they
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) are not allowed to vote in
— Plans to hold a nonbind- U.S. general elections.
ing referendum on Puerto The referendum was an-
Rico’s political status came nounced a month after
under scrutiny Wednesday Pierluisi, a Democrat, lost in
for its multimillion-dollar his party’s primary to Jen-
cost as election officials an- niffer González, a Repub-
nounced the order and de- lican who is Puerto Rico’s
scription of choices on the representative in Congress.
upcoming ballot. The two ran together in
The $1.3 million referendum 2020.
that critics have described Politics in Puerto Rico are
as “inconsequential” will defined by the island’s po-
feature three choices in litical status, so it’s common
the following order: inde- to find both Democrats
pendence with free as- and Republicans in the
sociation; statehood and same party.
independence. Under the González is a supporter of
free association option, is- former President Donald
sues like foreign affairs, U.S. Trump, who has said he
citizenship and use of the doesn’t support statehood
U.S. dollar would be negoti- The Puerto Rican flag flies in front of the Capitol building in San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 29, 2015. for Puerto Rico. González,
Associated Press
ated. however, has pledged to
The order of options was set tions commission’s alter- than $70 billion debt load dence Party have gone to push for statehood if she
following a televised draw- nate president, said the following decades of mis- court to challenge the ref- wins in November.
ing held Wednesday that agency had an original management, corruption erendum. Puerto Rico already has
was supervised by judges budget of $6.2 million for and excessive borrowing. The island’s Supreme Court held six referendums, the
at Puerto Rico’s elections the upcoming elections Jesús Manuel Ortiz, lead- issued a resolution last most recent one in 2020,
commission. but was awarded $7.5 mil- er of the main opposition week stating it would hear when voters were asked
Regardless of the outcome lion, with the additional Popular Democratic Party, the case. a single question: “Should
of the referendum sched- funds going toward the ref- said in recent days that the Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Puerto Rico be admitted
uled for the Nov. 5 general erendum. referendum is “a totally un- Pierluisi of the pro-state- immediately into the Union
elections, the island’s status Critics note that Puerto justified expense at a time hood Progressive New as a State?”
will not change. That would Rico is emerging from the when the (island) is expe- Party had announced on Nearly 53% voted in favor of
require approval from the biggest public debt restruc- riencing a real crisis in the July 1 that he would hold statehood, with only about
U.S. Congress and the U.S. turing in U.S. history after cost of living.” a referendum and has de- half of registered voters
president. announcing in 2015 that it Meanwhile, leaders of the fended his decision. He has participating in that year’s
Jessika Padilla, the elec- was unable to pay a more Puerto Rican Indepen- repeatedly said the island’s general elections.q

Eluned Morgan will be Wales’ first female leader as she takes over

a troubled governing party

By JILL LAWLESS leader after Eluned Morgan emerge from scandal and over three months. had been found guilty of
Associated Press was chosen Wednesday to division. “We’ve been through a dif- environmental offenses
LONDON (AP) — Wales is lead the governing Welsh Morgan succeeds First Min- ficult time, we’re now look- and breaching health and
set to get its first female Labour Party as it tries to ister Vaughan Gething, ing to the future,” Morgan safety regulations. An-
who stepped down last said. “I don’t think it’s been other company with the
week as party leader amid a pretty picture in the last same owner was given a
acrimony and a campaign few weeks. I think we’ve loan by the government-
donation scandal. got to fess up and accept owned Development Bank
Morgan, 57, is currently the that’s the situation.” of Wales in 2023 when
Welsh health minister and Gething, the son of a Welsh Gething was economy
was the only candidate to father and a Zambian minister. In June, Gething
replace Gething. She was mother, made history in lost a nonbinding no-confi-
announced as the new March when he was elect- dence vote in the Senedd,
party leader on Wednes- ed by Welsh lawmakers to but said then that he would
day and will become first head the Cardiff-based stay in his job.
minister after a confirma- administration, becoming He resigned last week after
tion vote in Wales’ parlia- the first Black leader of a four members of his gov-
ment, the Senedd. government in the U.K. ernment quit in protest.
The quick change of leader He faced criticism for ac- Wales, which has a popu-
avoids a leadership contest cepting 200,000 pounds lation of about 3 million,
Eluned Morgan meets with members of the public at the Caer and enables Welsh Labour ($255,000) in donations is one of four parts of the
Heritage Centre in Caerau, Ely, Wales, Wednesday, July 24, to project unity after the during his leadership cam- United Kingdom, along
2024. chaotic end of Gething’s paign from a recycling with England, Scotland and
Associated Press tenure, which lasted just company whose owner Northern Ireland.q