Puerto Rico’s Succession Drama Shifts to Island’s High Court
- Pierluisi claimed governorship; he may not be able to hang on
- Old guard fights among itself, but protesters want fresh start
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Puerto Rico’s leadership fight is moving to the courts after the island’s Senate punted on a chance to legitimize Pedro Pierluisi’s controversial claim to the governorship. The chamber’s leader said the failure to vote was tantamount to rejection.
Now, the parties have until noon Tuesday to submit arguments to the commonwealth’s supreme court over whether Pierluisi legally took over when former Governor Ricardo Rossello resigned Friday, despite lacking Senate approval. That’s left Pierluisi in a precarious position, with the possibility he could be forced at any time to stop acting as top executive of the U.S. territory.