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Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully guaranteed? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 Results by republic
95-100% Yes
90-95% Yes
85-90% Yes
80-85% Yes
75-80% Yes
70-75% Yes
Not participating | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A referendum on the future of the Soviet Union was held on 17 March 1991 across the Soviet Union. It was the only national referendum in the history of the Soviet Union,[1] although it was boycotted by authorities in six of the fifteen Soviet republics.
The referendum asked whether to approve a new Union Treaty between the republics, to replace the 1922 treaty that created the USSR. The question put to most 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 ethnicity will be fully guaranteed?[2]
In Kazakhstan, the wording of the referendum was changed by substituting "equal sovereign states" for "equal sovereign republics".[3]
In Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Kirghizia additional questions were asked about sovereignty and independence of these republics.
While the vote was boycotted by the authorities in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia (though not in the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia),[4] Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova (though not in Transnistria and Gagauzia),[5] turnout was 80% across the rest of the Soviet Union.[3]
The referendum's question was approved by nearly 80% of voters in all nine other republics that took part.[6] However, the August coup attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party prevented the anticipated signing of the New Union Treaty that was due to take place the next day. Although it failed, the coup attempt reduced confidence in Gorbachev's central government. It was followed by a series of referendums for independence in individual republics and led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991.[7]
- ^ Ziętara, Wojciech (2018), Marczewska-Rytko, Maria (ed.), "Direct Democracy in Russia", Handbook of Direct Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 (1 ed.), Verlag Barbara Budrich, pp. 242–259, doi:10.2307/j.ctvddzwx6.20, ISBN 978-3-8474-2122-1, JSTOR j.ctvddzwx6.20, archived from the original on 24 January 2023, retrieved 19 December 2022
- ^ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p492 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
- ^ a b Referendum of March 1991 Archived 2 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Russian History Encyclopedia on Answers.com
- ^ (in Russian) Chronicle of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (1988-2008) Archived 31 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Historical Overview of the PMR (Transnistria, Transdniestr, Transdnestr, Pridnestrovie) Archived 22 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Understanding the Cold War: A Historian's Personal Reflections Archived 24 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine by Adam Bruno Ulam, Leopolis Press, 2000, ISBN 0-9679960-0-7 (page 353)
- ^ Russia and the World Economy: Problems of Integration Archived 24 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine by Alan H. Smith, Routledge, 1993, ISBN 0-415-08925-5 (page 1)