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An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independence does not always ultimately result in independence.
Procedure
[edit]An independence referendum typically arises first after political success for nationalists of a territory. This could come in the election of politicians or parties with separatist policies, or from pressure from nationalist organisations.
Negotiations
[edit]Negotiations for the terms of an independence referendum may take place between the nationalists and the government which exercises sovereignty over the territory. If terms can be agreed, then the independence referendum can be held with its result binding, and respected by the international community. Independence referendums can be held without the consent of a national or the federal governments, then the international community will rely on several other factors, e.g. were the local people oppressed by the central government or not, to decide if the result can be recognized or not.
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Various issues can be discussed in negotiations, such as the date and timing of the poll, as well as voter eligibility. For these instances, common electoral practice is often widely used, although there can be deviations, as seen with the lowering of the voting age for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Other issues to be negotiated include what question or questions should be on the ballot, and what the voting options could be. Independence referendums can offer options of greater autonomy as well as, or instead of, the status quo. They can also put forward other constitutional questions to ballot. The questions that referendums ask may be revised if parties involved in negotiations consider them to be too leading.
Negotiations notably need to address what would make a result binding. For some independence referendums, a simple majority is required for one option. In other cases, a quota can be used, where a certain percentage of the vote or the electorate needs to be in favour of an option for it to be binding.
Successful negotiations can be hard to achieve for nationalists, as governments can be reluctant to give up sovereignty. For example, nationalists planned to hold a referendum in Catalonia in 2014, but met opposition from the Spanish government. As a result, the referendum that went ahead was unofficial and non-binding.
Aftermath
[edit]In the event of a vote for independence, there may be negotiations on the terms of secession for the territory from the sovereign state. A declaration of independence for a new state is then made, and international recognition can follow, as well as membership of international organisations such as the United Nations. In cases involving non-binding referendums, this can lead to a unilateral declaration of independence, and therefore partially recognised or self-proclaimed states, like the Donbas status referendums.
In the event of a vote against independence, there may still be a strong nationalist movement and calls for there to be a rerun of the independence referendum. For example, after two referendums in Quebec, the Parti Québécois has continued to raise the prospect of holding another referendum,[1] and the Scottish National Party has said that there should be a repeat of the 2014 referendum now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union.
List of independence referendums
[edit]Proposed state | Year | Proposed independence from | Majority for independence | Independence | Recognition of result | Notes |
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1817 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
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1846 | American Colonization Society | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1853 | Maryland State Colonization Society | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1905 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1918 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1933 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | |
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1945 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1945 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Initially recognized by the Republic of China, but recognition was abolished in 1953; recognized by the People's Republic of China. |
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1946 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Independence declaration annulled by Denmark. |
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1948 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | Integrated with Canada. |
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1951 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Unrecognized by the government of India.[2] |
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1955 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | Integrated with West Germany. |
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1958 | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. | |
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1958 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1961 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1962 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1964 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1964 | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. | |
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1967 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1967 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1969 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1969 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1970 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1974 | ![]() |
Majority for associated status | Associated status achieved | Yes | Became an associated state of New Zealand. |
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1974 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Mayotte remained with France. |
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1975 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1976 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1977 | ![]() |
Yes | No | Yes | Independence plans dropped in 1994. |
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1977 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1977 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum to become independent from Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla and attain Crown colony status within the British Empire. Unrecognized by the central government. |
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1980 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1980 | ![]() |
Yes | De facto | Partial | Recognized by South Africa; not by the international community. |
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1982 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1983 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Became an associated state of the United States. | |
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1983 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1983 | No | No | Yes | Became an associated state of the United States. | |
1984 | No | No | Yes | |||
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1984 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1986 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1987 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1990 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Unilaterally declared independence. |
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1991 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
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1991 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Unilaterally declared independence. |
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1991 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
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1991 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Only recognized by Albania. |
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1991 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
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1991 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1991 | ![]() |
Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
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1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
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1991 | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. | |
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1991 | Yes | De facto[3] | No | Unilaterally separated from Moldova; reintegrated into the country in 1995. | |
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1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
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1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
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1992 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Unilaterally declared independence. |
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1992 | No | No | Yes | Montenegro split from Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. | |
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1992 | ![]() |
Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
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1992 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | No | Reintegrated with Russia in 1994. |
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1993 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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1993 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1993 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1993 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1994 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1994 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1994 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1994 | No | No | Yes | ||
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1995 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1995 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1995[4] | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Regarded as a micronation. |
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1997 | ![]() |
Yes | De facto | No | Reintegrated with the Comoros in 2001. |
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1998 | ![]() |
Yes | No | Yes | 2/3 majority was required for independence. |
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1998 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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1999 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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2000 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2001 | ![]() |
Yes | De facto | No | |
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2004 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2004 | No | No | Yes | ||
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2005 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | |
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2005 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2005 | No | No | Yes | ||
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2006 | ![]() |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
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2006 | ![]() |
Yes | De facto | No | |
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2006 | ![]() |
Yes | De facto | No | |
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2006 | ![]() |
Majority for associated status but Quorum not reached |
Associated status not achieved | Yes | The referendum was on whether Tokelau should become an associated state of New Zealand. 2/3 majority was required. |
2007 | Majority for associated status but Quorum not reached |
Associated status not achieved | Yes | |||
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2009–2010 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Sri Lanka. |
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2011 | ![]() |
Yes[5] | Yes | Yes | |
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2012 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2014 | ![]() |
Yes[6] | De facto[7] | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
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2014 | Yes[6] | De facto[7] | No | Unilaterally declared independence. | |
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2014 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Italy. |
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2014 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2014 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | |
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2014 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2016 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Brazil. |
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2017 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2017 | ![]() |
Yes | No[8] | No | The referendum also took place in the disputed territories of Northern Iraq. |
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2017 | ![]() |
Yes | No[9] | No | Unilaterally declared independence. Declaration annulled by the government of Spain.[10] |
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2017 | ![]() |
Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Brazil. |
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2018 | ![]() |
No | No | Yes | |
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2019 | ![]() |
Yes | Subject to negotiation[11] | Yes | Nonbinding vote.[12] Independence rests with Papua New Guinea's parliament.[13] |
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2020 | ![]() |
No | No[14] | Yes | |
2021 | No | No | Yes | Boycotted by pro-independence parties.[15] |
See also
[edit]- Balkanization
- Declaration of independence
- Decolonization
- Ethnic nationalism
- Independence movement
- Kosovo independence precedent
- List of irredentist claims or disputes
- List of monarchy referendums
- List of proposed state mergers
- List of sovereign states
- List of territorial disputes
- Lists of active separatist movements
- Political status
- Right to exist
- Secession
- Self-determination
- Self-governance
- Sovereignty
- Succession of states
- Territorial integrity
- Wars of national liberation
Further reading
[edit]- Harguindéguy, J.-B., Sánchez, E. S., & Sánchez, A. S. (2021). "Why do central states accept holding independence referendums? Analyzing the role of state peripheries." Electoral Studies.
- Juve J. Cortés Rivera (2020). "Creating new states: the strategic use of referendums in secession movements." Territory, Politics, Governance
References
[edit]- ^ "Neverendum referendum: Voting on independence, Quebec-style". BBC News Online. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- ^ Walling, A. Wati; Agrawal, Ankush; Phom, B. Henshet (1 January 2018). Democracy In Nagaland: Tribes, Traditions, and Tensions. Highlander Press. ISBN 9780692070314.
- ^ Marcin Kosienkowski (2017) The Gagauz Republic: An Autonomism-Driven De Facto State The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review, volume 44, no. 3, pp292–313
- ^ Roth, Christopher F. (March 2015). Let's Split! A Complete Guide to Separatist Movements and Aspirant Nations, from Abkhazia to Zanzibar (PDF). Litwin Books, LLC. p. 90.
In 1995, Giorgio held a referendum, with Seborgans opting for independence 304-4.
- ^ South Sudan backs independence – results
- ^ a b "In eastern Ukraine, polls close amid allegations of double-voting - CNN.com". CNN. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ a b "Russia Praises Ukraine's Autonomy Law for Rebel Areas". WSJ. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ "Iraqi Kurds offer to 'freeze' independence referendum result". BBC. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ Catalonia independence: Spain takes charge of Catalan government BBC News, 28 October 2017
- ^ Suspendida la declaración de independencia de Cataluña (in Spanish)
- ^ Lyons, Kate (2019-12-10). "Bougainville referendum: region votes overwhelmingly for independence from Papua New Guinea". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
- ^ "Bougainville referendum not binding - PM". Radio New Zealand. 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ Mckenna, Kylie; Ariku, Emelda (19 November 2021). "Bougainville independence: recalling promises of international help". The Interpreter. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Sartre, Julien; Doherty, Ben (4 October 2020). "New Caledonia rejects independence from France for second time". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "New Caledonia pro-independence parties reject referendum result". Al Jazeera. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
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