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News :: Elections & Legislation : Latin America : Political-Economy : Regime |
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Democracy, Puerto Rico style |
Current rating: 0 |
by Philip Stinard
Email: pstinard (nospam) hotmail.com (verified) |
01 Jun 2005
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Yesterday鈥檚 Puerto Rican Senate session descended into chaos as losing gubernatorial candidate Pedro Rossell贸 continued to assert his right to the presidency of that legislative body. In Puerto Rico, shameless political opportunism at the expense of the public good is business as usual. |
 The front page of the June 1, 2005 El Nuevo D铆a (San Juan, PR). The headline reads, "Senate under siege," and features a photo of pro-Rossell贸 Senator Lorna Soto disrupting Senate business. |
Yesterday鈥檚 Puerto Rican Senate session descended into chaos as losing gubernatorial candidate Pedro Rossell贸 continued to assert his right to the presidency of that legislative body. Rossell贸 supporters from his pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP; Rossell贸 is also PNP president), including the President of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, filled the galleries and shouted insults as Senate President and fellow PNP member Kenneth McClintock attempted to maintain order and conduct Senate business.
Senators who support Rossell贸鈥檚 Senate presidency made work even more difficult for McClintock. McClintock鈥檚 attempts to move legislation along were blocked at every turn by parliamentary maneuvers. Senator Norma Burgos screamed obscenities at McClintock when he didn鈥檛 recognize her for one of the many turns that she asked to speak. Burgos accused McClintock of participating in a clandestine meeting in the Fortaleza (governor鈥檚 mansion), where she alleges that he negotiated agreements with the minority Popular Democratic (pro-commonwealth) Party in exchange for their votes for his presidency. McClintock denied those accusations for the record.
McClintock enjoys the support of 6 PNP Senators, and Rossell贸 is supported by 11. However, Rossell贸 needs the vote of 14 Senators in order to be elected Senate President.
Senate rules require complete silence from the public as the Senate conducts its business, but bedlam ruled. McClintock called for order six times and was ignored, but he did not clear the Senate as would normally be done under such circumstances. At one point, Rossell贸 called for a recess to unite a caucus to discuss the Senate presidency, but the call took place during the middle of a deliberation. McClintock replied, 鈥淭he gentleman made a proposal that is not related to what we are discussing. We will attend it after the session is over.鈥 Immediately following the exchange, the Senate approved the only piece of legislation that was discussed that day, and the Senate adjourned. As the Senators filed out, the audience screamed 鈥淛udas鈥 and 鈥渢raitor鈥 at McClintock鈥檚 supporters.
Rossell贸鈥檚 call for a Senate caucus has tremendous significance in that according to PNP rules, all PNP Senators are required to abide by decisions made by a majority of caucus members and vote in the manner determined by the caucus under penalty of expulsion from the party. Thus, although he has the support of only 11 Senators, Rossell贸 is attempting to force the other 6 PNP Senators to vote for him and achieve the majority he needs to become Senate President. According to PNP rules, only the Senate President (McClintock) can convene a Senate caucus. However, Rossell贸 is interpreting a rule that states that the PNP President can preside over any caucus at which he is present to mean that he can convene a caucus on his own behalf. That bending of the rules, together with a ruling by the PNP鈥檚 directorate in support of Rossell贸鈥檚 Senate presidency, bolstered by a vote of confidence from a PNP assembly stacked with Rossell贸 supporters, are being used by Rossell贸 to force himself down the throat of the Puerto Rican Senate.
Rossell贸鈥檚 critics point out that his strong-arm tactics are hardly democratic. An equivalent situation in the US would be if the Chairman of the Republican Party, having never been elected Senator, were to declare himself President of the Senate and use every political maneuver at his disposition, invoking rules that all Republicans must vote along party lines or be expelled from the party and forcing every Republican Senator to vote for him. As absurd as this may seem to US observers, party loyalty in Puerto Rico is held in higher esteem than voting on principles and issues, and just last night, a caller to a popular talk show said that Rossell贸 is upholding the highest ideals of democracy, because democracy means that people have to right to pursue any position they want to, and this is what Rossell贸 is doing. Puerto Rico鈥檚 status as a US colony can be held partly to blame for such reasoning.
As Rossell贸鈥檚 power grab continues to paralyze the Puerto Rican Senate, it appears unlikely that the Senate will be able to approve Puerto Rico鈥檚 budget before a June 30 deadline. In the face of a looming fiscal crisis, Governor An铆bal Acevedo Vil谩 declared today that he will begin issuing executive orders to keep the government afloat if the legislature fails its responsibilities. As expected, cynical Rossell贸 supporters are calling Acevedo Vil谩 a dictator and saying that only Rossell贸 as Senate President would be strong enough to stand up to him. In Puerto Rico, shameless political opportunism at the expense of the public good is business as usual. |
_Senado_5-31-2005.jpg) Rossell贸 strategizing his power grab as ex-Senator Miriam Ram铆rez de Ferrer (upper left) and House President Jos茅 Aponte (upper right) look on. (Photo courtesy of Gerald L贸pez-Cepero, Primera Hora.) |
 Puerto Rican Governor An铆bal Acevedo Vil谩 . (Photo courtesy of El Nuevo D铆a.) |
This work is in the public domain. |
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Re: Democracy, Puerto Rico style |
by .
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
12 Jun 2005
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. |
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Re: Democracy, Puerto Rico style |
by trucutu
iepeto (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
16 Jun 2005
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not democracy.............partyocracy |
