Puerto Rico — the 51st state?

Press, 17 November 1976, Page 24

Puerto Rico — the 51st state?

Puerto Rico’s election this month produced two striking results significant for the island’s constitutional status, its links with the United States and its frequent role as unwitting international whipping boy, the “New York Times” reports. The first of these was the unexpectedly decisive victory of the'New Progressive Par'tv, which hopes to make Puerto Rico the fifty-first state of the Union. Losers were the incumbent Popular Democrats, defenders of the island’s 24-year-old Commonwealth status. ■ The other surprise was the relatively poor showing of the Puerto Rican Independence Party in spite of economic conditions — raging inflation, high taxes, an. unemployment rate well ever 30 per cent —■ that had

been expected to enhance its prospects. A fourth group, the Marxist Puerto Rican Sociality Party, which also favours independence, polled an inconsequential vote. Carlos Romero Barcelo, 43-year-old Yale graduate and'Mayor of San Juan, decisively defeated Governor Rafael Hernandez Colon and led the New Progressives into firm control of both houses of the legislature as well as of many inportant municipalities. The pro-state-hood party also elected the Resident Commissioner, who represents Puerto Rico in the United States House of Representatives. Governor-elect Romero’s victory’ does not presage an early bid for statehood by the island Government. He said during the campaign that Puerto Rico’s political status was sot an election

issue; that the New Progressive priority would be the rebuilding of the economy. But his accession may doom a blueprint backed by Governor Hernandez for considerably expanding the island’s political autonomy in a “Compact of Permanent Union Betwen Puerto Rico and the United Sates.” The Ford Administration had stalled action on the compact for more than a year as a favour to the New Progressives, who are linked to the mainland Republican Party. President Ford had supported Mayor Romero; Governor Hernandez had been endorsed for re-election by Jimmy Carter. It was undoubtedly the severe depression and Mayor Romero’s effective campaign en economic policy and fbvaransent inefficiency.

than the question of political status, that produced the New Progressive sweep. Still only 40, Governor Hernandez will certainly continue out of office his fight for an expanded and refined Commonwealth relationship with Washingtom For the fifth straight quadrennial election, well over 90 per cent of Puerto Rico’s voters have supported the parties that favour permanent union with the United States. And those United Nations delegates who, at Cuba’s behest, annually demand “selfdetermination and independence” for Puerto Rico should note that in a free exercise of self-determina-tion, only about 6 per cent of the island’s voters supported independents* partial. -