Soviet Union referendum, 1991

File:Soviet Union referendum, 1991.jpg

Voting bulletin

A referendum on the future of the Soviet Union was held on 17 March 1991. The question put to voters was

Do you consider necessary the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics in which the rights and freedom of an individual of any nationality will be fully guaranteed?<ref name=N1>Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p492 ISBN 0-19-924958-X</ref>

In Kazakhstan, the wording of the referendum was changed by substituting "equal sovereign states" for "equal sovereign republics".<ref name=A/>

Although the vote was boycotted by the authorities in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia (though not the breakaway province of Abkhazia, where the result was over 98% in favour,<ref>Duffy-Toft, M (2003) The geography of ethnic violence: identity, interests, and the indivisibility of territory p98</ref> and in South Ossetia),<ref name="anticompromat">Template:Ru icon Chronicle of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (1988-2008)</ref> Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova (though not Transnistria or Gagauzia),<ref>Historical Overview of the PMR (Transnistria, Transdniestr, Transdnestr, Pridnestrovie)</ref> turnout was 80% across the rest of the Soviet Union.<ref name=A>Referendum of March 1991 Russian History Encyclopedia on Answers.com</ref> The referendum's question was approved by nearly 70% of voters in all nine other republics that took part.<ref>Understanding the Cold War: A Historian's Personal Reflections by Adam Bruno Ulam, Leopolis Press, 2000, ISBN 0-9679960-0-7 (page 353)</ref> It was the only referendum in the history of the Soviet Union, which was dissolved on 26 December 1991.<ref>Russia and the World Economy: Problems of Integration by Alan H. Smith, Routledge, 1993, ISBN 0-415-08925-5 (page 1)</ref><ref>Referendum on the preservation of the USSR, RIA Novosti (2011)</ref>

Overview

On December 24, 1990, deputies of the 4th Congress of People's Deputies, having voted by name, decided to consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured human rights and freedoms of any nationality.<ref>Постановление СНД СССР от 24 декабря 1990 года № 1853-1 «О сохранении Союза ССР как обновлённой федерации равноправных суверенных республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1990. — № 52. — ст. 1158.</ref> The referendum considered five questions:

• Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured human rights and freedoms of any nationality? (Yes/No)
• Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a single state? (Yes/No)
• Do you consider it necessary to preserve the socialist system in the USSR? (Yes/No)
• Do you consider it necessary to preserve in the renovated Union of Soviet power? (Yes/No)
• Do you feel the need to safeguard the Union in the renewed human rights and freedoms of any nationality? (Yes/No) (Any legal or legislative consequences, in case of acceptance of, or otherwise, was not specified)

On the same day, at the initiative and insistence of the President Mikhail Gorbachev,<ref name="lubarev">Любарев А. Е. Выборы в Москве: опыт двенадцати лет. 1989—2000. — М.: Стольный град, 2001. — 412 с. — ISBN 5-89910-019-2.</ref><ref>Съездом было принято два постановления о проведении референдумов по вопросу о частной собственности на землю</ref> the Congress adopted two decisions on holding a referendum on the private ownership of land [6] and on the preservation of the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign of Soviet Socialist Republics [7]. For the adoption of the first resolution voted in 1553 deputies, against - 84, abstained - 70. For the adoption of the second resolution voted in 1677 deputies, against - 32, abstained - 66.<ref name="lubarev" />

However, concerning the first decision the Chairman YH Kalmykov later explained at a session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Supreme Council Committee for Legislation, the president asked to refrain from holding a referendum on the issue of private property.<ref name="lubarev" />

Second course was given to the decree. It said that "due to numerous appeals of workers expressed concern about the fate of the USSR, and given that the preservation of a single union state is the most important issue of public life, affects the interests of each person, all the Soviet Union's population",<ref name="post1856">Постановление СНД СССР от 24 декабря 1990 года № 1856-1 «О проведении референдума СССР по вопросу о Союзе Советских Социалистических Республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1990. — № 52. — ст. 1161.</ref> the Congress of People's Deputies USSR decided:

1. Conduct a referendum of the USSR to address the issue of maintaining the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign Soviet Socialist Republics, taking into account the results of voting for each country separately.
2. To instruct the USSR Supreme Council set a date for the referendum and ensure its measures.
— Resolution of the USSR from LICs December 24, 1990 № 1856-1<ref name="post1856" />

On 27 December 1990, Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR decided to enact it adopted on the day the Law of the USSR "On the popular vote (Soviet Union referendum)".<ref name="post1856" />

According to Art. 5 of the Law of the USSR "On the popular vote (Soviet Union referendum)" <ref name="zakon90">Закон СССР от 27 декабря 1990 года № 1869-1 «О всенародном голосовании (референдуме СССР)» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1991. — № 1. — ст. 10.</ref> Law of the USSR referendum destination belonged to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, and on matters not related to the exclusive jurisdiction of the USSR Congress of People's Deputies, in the period between congresses – the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. "Based on the fact that no one, except the people can not take the historical responsibility for the fate of the USSR, pursuant to the decision of the fourth Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR in accordance with the law on the referendum of the USSR"<ref name="post1910">Постановление ВС СССР от 16 января 1991 года № 1910-1 «Об организации и мерах по обеспечению проведения референдума СССР по вопросу о сохранении Союза Советских Социалистических Республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. 1991. — № 4. — ст. 87.</ref> On January 16, 1991 the Supreme Council USSR decided that to:

Results

Choice	Votes	%
For	113,512,812	77.8
Against	32,303,977	22.2
Invalid/blank votes	2,757,817	–
Total	148,574,606	100
Registered voters/turnout	185,647,355	80.0
Source: Nohlen & Stöver<ref name=NS>Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1647 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7</ref>

In participating republics

Republic	For		Against		Invalid votes	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Template:Flagicon image Russian SFSR	56,860,783	73.00	21,030,753	27.00	1,809,633	79,701,169	105,643,364	75.44
Template:Flagicon image Bashkorstan	1,908,875	85.9	269,007	12.1	43,276	2,221,158	2,719,637	81.7
Template:Flagicon image Buryatia	447,438	83.5	78,167	14.6	10,197	535,802	668,231	80.2
Template:Flagicon image Dagestan	670,488	82.6	131,522	16.2	9,999	812,009	1,008,626	80.5
Template:Flagicon image Kabardino-Balkaria	290,380	77.9	77,339	20.8	4,888	372,607	489,436	76.1
Template:Flagicon image Kalmykia	148,462	87.8	17,833	10.5	2,829	169,124	204,301	82.8
Template:Flagicon image Karelia	317,854	76.0	92,703	22.0	7,544	418,101	551,644	75.8
Template:Flagicon image Komi	412,842	76.0	119,678	22.0	10,883	543,403	797,049	75.44
Template:Flagicon image Mari	333,319	79.6	77,239	18.5	8,041	418,599	525,685	79.6
Template:Flagicon image Mordovia	459,021	80.3	101,886	17.8	10,724	571,631	677,706	84.3
Template:Flagicon image North Ossetia	331,823	90.2	32,786	8.9	3,249	367,858	428,307	85.9
Template:Flagicon image Tatarstan	1,708,193	87.5	211,516	10.8	32,059	1,951,768	2,532,383	77.1
Template:Flagicon image Tuva	126,598	91.4	9,404	6.8	2,494	138,496	171,731	80.6
Template:Flagicon image Udmurtia	622,714	76.0	180,289	22.0	16,137	819,140	1,103,083	74.3
Template:Flagicon image Chechen–Ingush	318,059	75.9	94,737	22.6	6,216	419,012	712,139	58.8
Template:Flagicon image Chuvashia	616,387	82.4	113,249	15.1	18,784	748,420	900,913	81.3
Template:Flagicon image Yakutia	415,712	76.7	116,798	21.6	9,483	541,993	688,679	78.7
Template:Flagicon image Azerbaijan	2,709,246	94.12	169,225	5.88	25,326	2,903,797	3,866,659	75.10
Template:Flagicon image Nakhchivan	31,328	87.3	3,620	10.1	918	35,866	174,364	20.6
Template:Flagicon image Byelorussia	5,069,313	83.72	986,079	16.28	71,591	6,126,983	7,354,796	83.31
Template:Flagicon image Kazakhstan	8,295,519	95.00	436,560	5.00	84,464	8,816,543	9,999,433	88.17
Template:Flagicon image Kirghizia	2,057,971	95.98	86,246	4.02	30,377	2,174,593	2,341,646	92.87
Template:Flagicon image Tajikistan	2,315,755	96.85	75,300	3.15	16,497	2,407,552	2,549,096	94.45
Template:Flagicon image Turkmenia	1,766,584	98.26	31,203	1.74	6,531	1,804,310	1,846,310	97.66
Template:Flagicon image Ukraine	22,110,899	71.48	8,820,089	28.52	583,256	31,514,244	37,732,178	83.52
Template:Flagicon image Uzbekistan	9,196,848	94.73	511,373	5.27	108,112	9,816,333	10,287,938	95.42
Template:Flagicon image Karakalpakstan	563,916	97.6	10,133	1.8	3,668	577,717	584,208	98.9
Source: Direct Democracy

A boycott campaign reduced the Against votes in Western Ukraine.<ref>Ukrainian Nationalism in the 1990s: A Minority Faith by Andrew Wilson, Cambridge University Press, 1996, ISBN 0-521-57457-9 (page 127)</ref>

In republics not participating in the Soviet referendums

An official referendum had been held in Estonia on 3 March 1991 on whether to re-establish the Estonian republic that had been occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. The result was 77.8% in favour of re-establishing the Estonian republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Latvia also held an official referendum on 3 March 1991, when the overwhelming majority voted to re-establish the independent Latvian republic.

Consequently, in these republics pro-Soviet front-organisations organised voluntary referendums without official sanction.<ref>Об итогах референдума СССР, состоявшегося 17 марта 1991 года (Из сообщения Центральной комиссии референдума СССР) // Известия. — 1991. — 27 марта.</ref><ref>Template:Ru icon Воля, которую мы потеряли... "Время" № 5. 16 марта 2001 года</ref> Turnout of voting here was considerably less than 50% of the franchised voters of these countries, but this information was not included in the official statement of the Central Commission of the Referendum of USSR.<ref>Template:Ru iconСообщение Центральной комиссии референдума СССР об итогах референдума СССР, состоявшегося 17 марта 1991 года // Правда. — 1991. — 27 марта.</ref>

Republic	For		Against		Invalid votes	Total votes	Registered voters (not equal to franchised voters)	Turnout (based on registered, not franchised voters)
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Template:Flagicon image Armenia	2,541	72.46	966	27.54	42	3,549	4,923	72.09
Template:Flagicon image GeorgiaTemplate:Efn	43,950	99.98	9	0.02	53	44,012	45,696	96.31
Template:Flagicon image Abkhazia	164,231	98.5	1,566	0.9	747	166,544	318,317	52.3
Template:Flagicon image Estonia	211,090	95.46	10,040	4.54	1,110	222,240	299,681	74.16
Template:Flagicon image Latvia	415,147	95.84	18,015	4.16	3,621	436,783	670,828	65.11
Template:Flagicon image Lithuania	496,050	99.13	4,355	0.87	970	436,783	582,262	86.11
Template:Flagicon image Moldova	688,905	98.72	8,916	1.28	3,072	700,893	841,507	83.29
Source: Direct Democracy

Additional questions

In several of the republics, additional questions were added to the ballot. In Russia, an additional question was asked on whether an elective post of the president of the Russian SFSR should be created. In Kirghizia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan the additional question was on the sovereignty of their republics as part of a new union.<ref name=A/>

Kirghizia

In Kirghizia, voters were also asked "Do you agree that the Republic of Kirghizistan should be in the renewed Union as a sovereign republic with equal rights?" It was approved by 62.2% of voters, although turnout was only 81.7%, compared to 92.9% in the Union-wide referendum.<ref>Nohlen et al., p443</ref>

Choice	Votes	%
For		62.2
Against		37.8
Invalid/blank votes		–
Total		100
Source: Nohlen et al.

Ukraine

Template:Main article In the Ukraine, voters were also asked "Do you agree that Ukraine should be part of a Union of Soviet sovereign states on the basis on the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine?"<ref name=N2>Nohlen & Stöver, p1985</ref> The proposal was approved by 81.7% of voters.<ref name=N2/>

Choice	Votes	%
For	25,224,687	81.7
Against	5,655,701	18.3
Invalid/blank votes	584,703	–
Total	31,465,091	100
Registered voters/turnout	37,689,767	83.5
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

At the same day a referendum in the Galician provinces Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Ternopil asked the three regions of the USSR about the creation of independent state of Ukraine.<ref>Dissolution: Sovereignty and the Breakup of the Soviet Union by Edward W. Walker, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003, ISBN 0742524523 (134)</ref><ref>The Ukrainian West: Culture and the Fate of Empire in Soviet Lviv by William Jay Risch, Harvard University Press, 2011, ISBN 0674050010, (page 4)</ref> 88% of the voters in this referendum supported Ukraine's independence.<ref>Cleft Countries: Regional Political Divisions and Cultures in Post-Soviet Ukraine and Moldova (Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society 33) by Ivan Katchanovski, 2006, ISBN 389821558X (page 40)</ref>

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, voters were also asked "Do you agree that Uzbekistan should remain part of a renewed Union (federation) as a sovereign republic with equal rights?" It was approved by 94.9% of voters, with a turnout of 95.5%.<ref name="N1"/>

Choice	Votes	%
For		94.9
Against		5.1
Invalid/blank votes		1.1
Total	9,824,304	100
Source: Nohlen et al.

See also

• Union of Sovereign States
• Dissolution of the Soviet Union

External links

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