Wednesday, 14 November 2012 11:27
Posted by Asad Naeem
MIAMI: One week after Puerto Ricans approved a measure to become the 51st US state, doubts have begun to emerge over the meaning of the vote and their chances of joining the union.
Residents of the Caribbean island, seized from Spain in 1898, are US citizens, serve in the US military and have US passports, but cannot vote in US presidential elections.
The self-governing US territory's sole representative in Congress is a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives. However, island residents do not pay federal income taxes.
On November 6 Puerto Ricans were asked two questions in a non-binding vote that critics say was confusing.
First: "Do you agree that Puerto Rico should continue to have its present form of territorial status?" Fifty-two percent of voters answered no, according to official results.
Voters were then given three options: a) Join the United States as a state, b) Become an independent country, or c) Become ...