Weekly Report - 30 August 2012 (WR-12-34)

 PUERTO RICO | Constitutional reforms rejected. Puerto Rican voters have rejected, via referendum, constitutional reforms which would have cut the size of the legislature (from 78 legislators to 56) and ended the absolute right to bail. The result of the 19 August election came as a surprise: previous polls revealed widespread backing for the changes which were aimed at improving the efficiency of the local bi-cameral legislature and addressing a crime wave in the US territory (see sidebar).