San Juan, Aug 21 (IANS/EFE): Puerto Ricans surprised pollsters and political observers by voting against amending their constitution to limit the right of bail in certain homicide cases and also against reducing the size of the legislature.

Predictions pointing to majority support for Gov. Luis Fortuno's initiative went unfulfilled and undermined his possibilities of winning a second term in the Nov 6 elections.

Fortuno called for the referendum on grounds that giving judges the discretion to refuse bail in certain cases was the only way to deter criminals, while cutting the legislature by 30 percent would bring significant savings.

Soon after 50 percent of the vote had been counted, Fortuno appeared before the media to say that voting down the bail amendment was an opportunity lost, though he said he would respect citizens' wishes in the matter.

Fortuno is consequently blocked from proceeding any further with one of his emblematic projects at a time when violent crime has become the worst problem.

Critics said that limiting bail would do nothing to attack the root of the problem and was only a strategy to portray the governor as tough on crime.