D.C. Sen. Paul Strauss, one of two ‘shadow senators’ from the District of Columbia, outside the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 9, 2007. (copyright-Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Washington DC applies for UNPO membership

On Thursday After, November 5, 2015, Senator Paul Strauss attended the XX UNPO presidency meeting, held in Brussels, Belgium. At the beginning of the Presidency meeting, new candidates requesting membership are given a chance to present the case for a UNPO membership. The novelty in UNPO presidency meeting this time was that a USA senator representing the Capital district of the strongest nation on earth, claiming itself as the intimate champion of democracy and all that stands for  was applying to UNPO in order for it to advocate for the citizens of Washington DC to be given the right of choice so that they can govern themselves by legislating  according to their wishes and interests , like all the other citizens in most of the USA states, instead of being forced to be ruled at a district level by decisions taken by representatives of other US states.

Mr Paul Strauss, who was elected by the citizens of Washington DC is a member of DC’s “shadow” congressional delegation who lobbies congress. D.C. residents have no representation in the United States Senate.

Background

The District of Columbia

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as “Washington“, “the District“, or simply “D.C.“, is the capital of the United States. The signing of the Residence Act on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country’s East Coast. The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state.

Washington had an estimated population of 601,723 in 201- 2015, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the United States. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city’s population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington metropolitan area, of which the District is a part, has a population of 5.8 million, the seventh-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country.

The centres of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations.

A locally elected mayor and a 13‑member council have governed the District since 1973. However, the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. D.C. residents elect a non-voting, at-large congressional delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, but the District has no representation in the U.S. Senate. The District receives three electoral votes in presidential elections as permitted by the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961.

The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1961, granting the District three votes in the Electoral College for the election of president and vice president, but still no voting representation in Congress.(Wiki)

According to DC statehood campaign,  the people of  “DC elects a non-voting Delegate to the US House of Representatives who can draft legislation but does not have a vote. The current Delegate for the District of Columbia is Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

DC residents also elect two United States Senators and a United States Representative. This “shadow” congressional delegation lobbies Congress on statehood for the District. The current US Senators are Michael D. Brown and Paul Strauss. DC’s current US Representative is Franklin Garcia”.

Pauls Strauss came to the UNPO on behalf of DC statehood campaign which argues that:

The United States is the only nation in the world with a representative, democratic constitution that denies voting representation in the national legislature to citizens of the capital. In addition to paying federal taxes, District residents pay local taxes and bear all the responsibilities associated with citizenship. There are two states (Vermont and Wyoming) that have populations that are smaller than the District of Columbia yet they have full representation in Congress and control over their own local affairs. The District’s population is also comparable to other States including Delaware, Alaska, and several others.

The District’s budget is subject to congressional approval and must be signed into law by the President of the United States. Congress can also dictate how the District spends its own locally-raised tax revenue. Through the budget, Congress can, and has many times, controlled the implementation of local laws passed by our elected leaders and referendums approved by DC voters.(Source: DC.gov)

Paul Strauss states in his webpage that:

As a non-voting representative to the US Senate, I lobby the US Senate and the US House of Representatives on behalf of the citizens of DC in their attempt to gain full Federal representation, self-determination, and eventually admittance to the union as the nation’s 51st state. I also work closely with our non-voting Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the Mayor and the DC Council members to advance the interest of local residents on Federal issues.

The people of the District of Columbia deserve equal representation. I have worked tirelessly to educate people both in the District and around the Nation and even the world about the disenfranchisement of the District of Columbia.

Here is what Senator Paul Strauss says about the Washington DC desire for statehood in an interview wit RT

What is Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO)

In its mission UNPO states that

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international, nonviolent, and democratic membership organisation. Its members are indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories who have joined together to protect and promote their human and cultural rights, to preserve their environments, and to find nonviolent solutions to conflicts which affect them.

Although the aspirations of UNPO Members differ greatly, they are all united by one shared condition – they are not adequately represented at major international fora, such as the United Nations. As a consequence, their opportunity to participate on the international stage is significantly limited, as is their ability to access and draw upon the support of the global bodies mandated to defend their rights, protect their environments, and mitigate the effects of conflict.

If accepted Washington DC or the New Colombia statehood movement would become the 45th  member UNPO. The Common thread between the people in Washington DC or those in Ogaden and the other peoples in UNPO is the denial of right of Self-determination. That rights is not dependent of how well to do people are or how developed their territory is. The common factor is the denial of democratic choice – to decide one’s  fate. The USA resident in Washington DC is not complaining of organised rape, detention, torture or denial of freedom of expression by the state, but lack of representation in a very subtle and insidious way.

Whichever way the UNPO presidency decides, the presence Senator Strauss and the application of Washington DC has added a new dimension to the universal quest of self-determination. Taxation without representation in Washington DC is no longer a concern only for Washington DC residents. Forty-four other nations are also adopting that battle cry!, standing by their new found cause-mates in America.

by

Garasho

OPRO reporter at the EU.