Puerto Rico's Supreme Court rules new governor must step down

WASHINGTON - Pedro Pierluisi, who was appointed Puerto Rico's governor a few days ago amid political turmoil, will have to step down, the island's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The ruling likely means that Secretary of Justice Wanda Vazquez will take the island's top job, though she said earlier she didn't want the position, local media reported.

"It's unconstitutional to allow a Secretary of State to become Governor without having been confirmed by both legislative chambers," the Supreme Court said in a press release.

The high court also said that the 2005 law that then governor Ricardo Rossello used to put Pierluisi in power was unconstitutional, according to the media reports.

"The governor's oath of office was unconstitutional," Puerto Rico's Supreme Court said. "Therefore, Hon. Pedro R. Pierluisi Urrutia can't continue his work as Governor after this Opinion and Sentence becomes effective."

The unanimous ruling, which will become official at 5 pm Wednesday local time, came after the island's Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz filed a lawsuit on Monday, asking courts to immediately remove Pierluisi from his post based on the fact that the events didn't follow the constitution.

Pierluisi, a 60-year-old veteran politician, was sworn in as Puerto Rico's new governor on Aug 2, the same day when embattled Rossello officially stepped down following weeks of street protests in the Caribbean island after the leak of hundreds of pages of text messages in which Rossello and other male administration members made vulgar, sexist and inappropriate comments.

Pierluisi was sworn in as Puerto Rico's secretary of state days before the replacement, making him next in line of succession. Rossello then said Pierluisi didn't need to be confirmed to be appointed as governor, citing a 1952 law.

However, some legislators and political experts have pointed out the confusion of the appointment process, and said that Pierluisi needs approval from the island's House of Representatives and Senate to fill the role.

The island's House approved Pierluisi's confirmation earlier on Aug 2. The Senate was once supposed to vote this week but it didn't happen.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Pierluisi said he would resign if the court ruled against him.

Pierluisi is a corporate lawyer for a law firm which represents the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, an agency Congress created in 2016 to help manage the territory's financial crisis. He is also Puerto Rico's former resident commissioner, the island's sole representative in Congress, from 2009 to 2017.

He also previously served as Puerto Rico's secretary of justice under former Governor Pedro Rossello, Ricardo Rossello's father, according to local media reports.