Respicio said it’s time for the government of Guam’s leaders to commit to bring closure to the “long-awaited” Chamorro-only vote.
“Now more than ever, we need to provide a meaningful opportunity for our Chamorro people to fully and freely choose a political status: independence; free association with the United States of America; or statehood. Whatever the outcome of this much-anticipated plebiscite, this will provide our Chamorro people with a significant opportunity to exercise our right to self-determination,” said Respicio in a letter to Calvo.
Respicio also called on the governor to convene the Commission on Decolonization, as the legal mechanism to which these objectives will be achieved, writing: “We must not fail to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to present a united, team Guam approach, putting Guam First by leveraging the need to address past injustices as part of the ongoing buildup negotiations with the United States government.”
Title 1, Chapter 21, §2110 of the Guam Code Annotated is the statutory mechanism that accomplishes this goal.
Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo’s effort to provide funding for an education campaign and Assistant Interior Secretary Tony Babauta’s effort to establish a Department of the Interior field office in Guam will greatly benefit the process of bringing self-determination to closure, said Respicio.
