Falklands : FALKLAND ISLANDERS TO HOLD REFERENDUM ON SOVEREIGNTY
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 12.06.2012 (Article Archived on 26.06.2012)
The Falkland Islands Government has announced today that a referendum on Falklands’ sovereignty will be held during the first half of 2013.
Photo (c) J. Brock (FINN) From Left to right: MLA Jan Cheek, H. E. the Governor Mr Nigel Haywood, MLA Barry Elsby, MLA Ian Hansen, MLA Sharon Halford, Mr Jeremy Browne, MP, Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and MLA Gavin Short
FALKLAND ISLANDERS TO HOLD REFERENDUM ON SOVEREIGNTY
By J. Brock (FINN)
From Left to right: MLA Jan Cheek, H. E. the Governor Mr Nigel Haywood, MLA Barry Elsby, MLA Ian Hansen, MLA Sharon Halford, Mr Jeremy Browne, MP, Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and MLA Gavin Short
The Falkland Islands Government has announced today that a referendum on Falklands’ sovereignty will be held during the first half of 2013.
Speaking for the Falkland Islands Government the Hon Mr Gavin Short, MLA, said: “We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of Falklands’ people in a clear, democratic and incontestable way. So we have decided, with the full support of the British Government, to hold a referendum on the Falkland Islands to eliminate any possible doubt about our wishes. This referendum will be organised by the Falkland Islands’ Government and will take place in the first half of 2013. We will invite independent, international observers to observe the process and verify its outcome.”
Jeremy Browne, MP, Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who is currently visiting the Falklands, said, “Whilst it is for the Islanders to choose, let me make it clear: the British Government greatly values the links between the UK and the Falkland Islands. We believe these should continue and deepen long into the future; and if this proves to be the will of the Falkland Islands people, then we in the UK will not just respect it, but will continue to actively defend this act of self-determination from those who seek to challenge it.”
He went on to say that only the Falkland Islands’ people can determine how they wish to be governed. “Indeed I believe this referendum is a truly significant moment and will give the Falkland Islands’ people to send a clear message – not just to Argentina but to the whole of the international community – that the Islanders and they alone are masters of their fate,” he said.
Mr Browne agreed with the Honourable Gavin Short that in the next few months the Falklands will give their definitive verdict on their political status.
“I have no doubt that the people of the Falklands wish for the Falkland Islands to remain a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom,” said Gavin Short. He continued that Islanders had no wish to be ruled by the Government in Buenos Aires.
For the past 30 years especially the Argentine Government has deployed misleading rhetoric that wrongly implies that Islanders have no strong views or that they are being held hostage by the UK Military. “This is simply absurd,” said MLA Short.
As yet there is no formulated question to be answered but the Falkland Islands Government will circulate it as soon as it is written.
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