By The Star Staff
Jenniffer González Colón, the presumptive governor-elect of Puerto Rico, said Thursday that she will not give the Financial Oversight and Management Board any influence in certain matters.
“There are two things. The first is that I will not allow the Board to interfere in matters that are the responsibility of the state,” González Colón said at a press conference. “The second is those [matters] that obviously merit the expenditure of public funds that are part of the Fiscal Plan, which obviously do have to [include the oversight board], but those things will be coordinated and done so that the legislation that is presented does not have any obstacles from the Board and if there were any, I would say it up front and we would go to the final consequences to represent that legislation.”
“I must have a meeting with the Board in the next few weeks,” she added. “I have not called it yet; we are still in a process where the vote is open and I am organizing other things. But that meeting will take place and I am sure that we will be able to establish the work plan.”
When asked about the points in which the oversight board does not have any influence, González Colón replied: “You will see, you will see when we file the legislation.”
The presumptive governor-elect’s statements were made at a press conference in which the Senate leadership was chosen after the vote count, which is yet to be certified by the State Elections Commission, showed the New Progressive Party regaining a majority in the upper chamber (see related story on page 3). Thomas Rivera Schatz was chosen as president. Sen. Carmelo Ríos Santiago was named as one vice president, and a female vice president will be chosen as soon as the electoral counting process is completed.
The majority spokesman will be Sen. Gregorio Matías Rosario and the alternate spokesman will be Sen. Juan Oscar Morales.
The committees and their chairs have yet to be defined.
“I would like to announce the votes that we have for a new president-elect of the Senate of Puerto Rico, Senator Thomas Rivera Schatz,” González Colón said. “I congratulate him for this victory and his willingness to serve the people of Puerto Rico. The Senate caucus has also decided by vote to establish two vice presidencies, one for a man and one for a woman. Since there are still some seats pending with the 10 percent that remains to be counted and from the early vote, the female vice presidency has been left unelected at this time. Since there are already several female colleagues who could be entering the Legislature, this decision can be made.”
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