Controversy over Puerto Rico senator to be decided by court
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| Published on Friday, September 5, 2008 |
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By María Miranda Sierra
Caribbean Net News Puerto Rico Correspondent
Email: miranda@caribbeannetnews.com
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: The New Progressive Party (NNP) Governing Board determined Thursday to accept the recommendation made by the Reconciliation Committee that was in charge of handling the complaint filed against Puerto Rico Senator Jorge De Castro Font after he verbally attacked party President Luis Fortuño.
Late Wednesday night, the committee recommended for the NPP to take the matter to the courts in order to be able to legally oust De Castro Font from the party and not run for re-election under the NPP insignia.
But De Castro Font said that according to Puerto Rico’s electoral law, the party can not remove his name from the NPP senatorial election ballot unless he dies or resigns.
“I am not going to resign because if I resign I will be violating my presumption of innocence and I would be justifying the actions of those slandering me before the grand jury,” De Castro Font said regarding the federal probe which authorized authorities to search his house, office and a gas station.
Meanwhile, at New Progressive Party headquarters, the last touches where being made to lawsuit the party will be presenting at the San Juan Superior Courthouse sometime Thursday against De Castro Font in an attempt to ban him from running for re-election under the NPP ballot.
However as of 11 a.m. the lawsuit had yet to be filed according to the San Juan Superior Courthouse press office.
The decision to take the matter to the courts was made by the NPP Governing Board Wednesday night via a telephone conference after determining to follow the recommendation made earlier in the afternoon by the party’s Reconciliation Committee.
“The conduct showcased by Sen. De Castro Font violates the party’s regulations,” NPP Secretary General Hugo Pérez said.
The NPP is expected to file an urgent motion so that the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission can stop printing the senatorial ballots until the issue is resolved. The SEC has until Friday, September 5 to change any names that appear on any of the 2008 electoral ballots.
Pérez said that De Castro Font’s political future is now up to the courts.
“The committee and the Governing Board already made their decision. Now it’s the court’s turn,” Pérez said.
De Castro Font, meanwhile said “over my dead body,” is the only way his name won’t appear on the NPP ballot.
“We will analyze the lawsuit filed by the NPP and we will be ready to answer the lawsuit as the law permits,” De Castro Font said.
“I feel sorry and feel much grief that the people that caused Fortuño so much harm during the past four years are now controlling him so he looks bad before the people of Puerto Rico, making him look as a person that doesn’t think of the consequences his actions will bring, that doesn’t know the law and has no gratitude,” De Castro Font said.
He said that lawsuit that will be filed by the NPP has no possibility of being a fruitful one.
“This has been one of the worst errors made by a political party in recent history, just 60 days before the elections,” De Castro Font added. | | | | Reads : 354 | | | |
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