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Falklands’ referendum, a “democratic and incontestable” answer to Argentina’s ambitions

Friday, January 18th 2013 - 14:33 UTC
Full article 300 comments
Gilbert House, seat of the Falklands elected government Gilbert House, seat of the Falklands elected government
Young Falkland Islanders in New York last June at the United Nations Young Falkland Islanders in New York last June at the United Nations
Falklands’ flying at the Foreign Office April 14, Liberation Day Falklands’ flying at the Foreign Office April 14, Liberation Day

The Falkland Islands elected government has confirmed the dates and final wording of the referendum on the political status of the Islands, based on their right to self determination and to counter Argentina’s repeated calls for negotiations over sovereignty.

“The result will demonstrate in a clear, democratic and incontestable way how the people of the Falkland Islands wish to live their lives”, says the release which anticipates the presence of “a credible, international and independent observer mission to observe the referendum in order to clearly demonstrate that it has been held freely and fairly”.

Following a two-week public consultation, and having taken outside expert advice on the specific wording to be asked in the Referendum, the Falklands’ Executive Council have approved the final wording of the question, which, along with an explanatory preamble, reads as follows:

“The current political status of the Falkland Islands is that they are an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. The Islands are internally self-governing, with the United Kingdom being responsible for matters including defence and foreign affairs. Under the Falkland Islands Constitution the people of the Falkland Islands have the right to self-determination, which they can exercise at any time. Given that Argentina is calling for negotiations over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, this referendum is being undertaken to consult the people regarding their views on the political status of the Falkland Islands. Should the majority of votes cast be against the current status, the Falkland Islands Government will undertake necessary consultation and preparatory work in order to conduct a further referendum on alternative options.

Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?
YES or NO”

The Executive Council has also agreed that the Referendum would be held over two days, 10-11 March, giving everyone the maximum opportunity to exercise their right to vote.

The result will demonstrate in a clear, democratic and incontestable way how the people of the Falkland Islands wish to live their lives. To that end, the Falkland Islands Government has consulted widely to identify a credible, international and independent observer mission to observe the referendum in order to clearly demonstrate that it has been held freely and fairly.
 

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  • Monkeymagic

    Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?
    YES or NO”

    OR

    Would you like to be ethnically cleansed by a mad despotic state who has invaded you in your recent history. Would you like to be thrown alive from aeroplanes and to be governed by a pschotic harridan with a Botox fetish.

    What do you THINK?

    Jan 18th, 2013 - 02:43 pm 0
  • Shed-time

    @1 I think the likelihood of an argentine boat full of the la hitler campora youth sailing 300 miles to the falklands is low.

    I'm pretty sure the UN will have to accept that this referendum has taken place, because of their clause about 'free association' with another state. The C24 will carry on ignoring the wishes of any of the islanders though without actually having visited them.

    I'm pretty sure that Brazil and Uruguay will claim it's an illegal referendum because the falklands is an implanted population, without providing a jot of evidence to say why they think it's an implanted population, because quite frankly they don't know. Then they'll sign some papers about it.

    The Argies will still carry on demanding negotiations, then demanding it's undeniably theirs, then saying they just want to chat, then saying the falklanders should all be genocided, and this time the UK will have a definite answer to throw back at them.

    Not much will change though.

    Jan 18th, 2013 - 03:12 pm 0
  • Shedtime

    Comment removed by the editor.

    Jan 18th, 2013 - 03:26 pm 0
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