In furtherance of Public Law Number 23-147, now codified as Chapter
21 of Title 1 of the Guam Code Annotated, wherein the Commission on Decolonization was established and given the mandate to conduct a plebiscite on the political status wishes of the people of Guam, I Liheslaturan Guåhan finds there is a need for a Registry, separate and apart from the Chamorro Registry authorized by Public Law Number 23-130, now codified as Chapter 20 of Title 3 of the Guam Code Annotated, which will specifically delineate the list of qualified voters for the political status plebiscite, and intends that this separate Registry not be one based on race.

It is the intent of I Liheslaturan Guåhan to permit the native inhabitants of Guam, as defined by the U.S. Congress’ 1950 Organic Act of Guam to exercise the inalienable right to self-determination of their political relationship with the United States of America.

I Liheslaturan Guåhan finds that the right has never been afforded the native inhabitants of Guam, its native inhabitants and land having themselves been overtaken by Spain, and then ceded by Spain to the United States of America during a time of war, without any consultation with the native inhabitants of Guam.

This inalienable right is founded upon the 1898 Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain; Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter; the United States’ yearly reports to the United Nations on the Non Self-governing Territory of Guam; 1950 Organic Act of Guam; United Nations Resolution Number 1541 (XV); United Nations Resolution 1514 (XV); § 307 (a) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act; and Part I, Article 1, Paragraphs 1 and 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

I Liheslaturan Guåhan notes that the 1950 Congress acknowledged its
United Nations’ responsibilities:

In addition to its obligation under the Treaty of Paris, the United States has additional treaty obligations with respect to Guam as a non-self-governing Territory. Under Chapter XI of the Charter of the United Nations, ratified by the Senate June 26, 1945 (59 Stat. at p. 1048), we undertook, with respect to the people of such

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Territories, to insure political advancement, to develop self- government, and taking ‘due account of the political aspirations of the peoples; * * * to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions * * *.’ Organic Act of Guam, Sen. Rep. 2109, 1950 U.S. Code & Admin. Report p. 2841.

It is the purpose of this legislation to seek the desires to those peoples who were given citizenship in 1950 and to use this knowledge to further petition Congress and other entities to achieve the stated goals.

The intent of this Chapter shall not be construed nor implemented by the government officials effectuating its provisions to be race based, but founded upon the classification of persons as defined by the U.S. Congress in the 1950 Organic Act of Guam.

SOURCE: Added by P.L. 25-106:2 (Mar. 24, 2000).