In light of the recent Ninth Circuit Court ruling which ruled against the holding of a political status plebiscite on Guam, the Commission on Decolonization held a meeting Tuesday where officials discussed the government’s next steps in the pursuit of self-determination.
The Ninth Circuit Court ruled that Guam’s limitation on the right to vote in its political status plebiscite to “native inhabitants of Guam” violates the Fifteenth Amendment.
At the meeting, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Attorney General Leevin Camacho discussed options to address the judicial decision.
According to the governor, she has met with senators to discuss the next course of action. She also supports going forward with a plebiscite.
The attorney general said that requesting a Supreme Court review on the decision is another option, with Guam having 90 days to file a review.
The three decolonization task forces are in agreement about moving forward with a plebiscite. They are also agreed that the “self” in “self-determination” would have to be defined.
The Commission on Decolonization has also contracted a scholar to conduct the first part of a study on self-determination and the plebiscite.
The governor stressed that she would still like to move forward with a plebiscite, although whether it would “native-only” or open is yet to be determined. In any case, she said the meeting was an opportunity to get everyone’s thoughts in light of the ruling.
According to the AG, the district court of Guam awarded Davis $947,717 plus interest.
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