The nationwide referendum held in Crimea is undoubtedly a historic event. And by no means unique, referendums on independence or re-subordination of the territory were held in different parts of the world.
Today we present Top 5 independence referendums. It includes the already held popular vote, but in the near future the list may be replenished with referendums on the secession of the Italian region of Veneto, Spanish Catalonia, and Scotland.
5. Referendum on the independence of East Timor (1999)
78.5% of the inhabitants of the territory spoke for independence from Indonesia. The voting was accompanied by an outbreak of violence, as a result of the clashes, several UN observers were killed.
The official proclamation of the sovereignty of East Timor took place 3 years after the referendum - on May 20, 2002.
4. Referendum on the independence of Montenegro (2006)
The issue of Montenegro's secession from the state union with Serbia was submitted to a referendum. The voting turnout was almost 87%. At the same time, 55.5% of the votes were cast for independence. The results were recognized by the UN, EU, Russia, USA and China. The results of the referendum are still controversial. the 55% threshold required for a decision was exceeded by only 0.5%, or 2,000 votes.
3. Referendums on the independence of Quebec (1980, 1995)
In the Canadian province, there are constant debates about the feasibility of gaining independence. According to the results of the first referendum, 40.44% of the population supported secession, according to the results of the second - 49.42%.
The main reason for the separatist sentiment is that Quebec is a traditionally French-speaking province, unlike the rest of the English-speaking part of Canada.
2. Referendum on the independence of Transnistria (2006)
The referendum was not recognized as legitimate by Ukraine, the EU, OSCE, Moldova, the Council of Europe and the United States. Nevertheless, to me, 97% of Pridnestrovians spoke in favor of the independence of the region. The population of the region is made up of Moldovans, Ukrainians and Russians, and the ratio of nationalities is almost the same.
Despite all the efforts of the Russian Federation and the international community, the situation on the territory of the unrecognized republic remains tense. In March 2014, the chairman of the Supreme Council of the republic, Mikhail Burla, spoke in favor of the entry of Pridnestrovie into the territory of Russia.
1. Referendum on the independence of South Ossetia (1992)
The nationwide vote was the result of a protracted Georgian-South Ossetian conflict. The initial goal of the territory was to increase its own status within Georgia, but the initiative did not find understanding.
As a result, on January 3, 1992, more than 99% of the referendum participants voted for the independence of South Ossetia with the prospect of joining Russia.
Today South Ossetia is recognized as an independent state by Russia, Nicaragua, Tuvalu, Venezuela and Nauru.