Soviet Union referendum, 1991

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 This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the Russian Wikipedia. (January 2013)
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?[1]

In Kazakhstan the wording of the referendum was changed by substituting "equal sovereign states" for "equal sovereign republics."[2]

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,[3] and in South Ossetia),[4] Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova (though not Transnistria or Gagauzia),[5] turnout was 80% across the USSR.[2] The referendums question was approved by nearly 70% of voters in all nine other republics that took part.[6] It was the first, and only, referendum in the history of the Soviet Union, which was dissolved on 26 December 1991.[7][8]

Contents

Result [edit]

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[9]

In participating republics [edit]

Republic For Against Invalid
votes		 Total
votes		 Registered
voters		 Turnout
Votes % Votes %
Republic of Azerbaijan 2,709,246 94.12 169,225 5.88 25,326 2,903,797 3,866,659 75.10
Byelorussian SSR 5,069,313 83.72 986,079 16.28 71,591 6,126,983 7,354,796 83.31
Kazakh SSR 8,295,519 95.00 436,560 5.00 84,464 8,816,543 9,999,433 88.17
Kirghiz SSR 2,057,971 95.98 86,246 4.02 30,377 2,174,593 2,341,646 92.87
Russian SFSR 56,860,783 73.00 21,030,753 27.00 1,809,633 79,701,169 105,643,364 75.44
Tajik SSR 2,315,755 96.85 75,300 3.15 16,497 2,407,552 2,549,096 94.45
Turkmen SSR 1,766,584 98.26 31,203 1.74 6,531 1,804,310 1,846,310 97.66
Ukrainian SSR 22,110,899 71.48 8,820,089 28.52 583,256 31,514,244 37,732,178 83.52
Uzbek SSR 9,196,848 94.73 511,373 5.27 108,112 9,816,333 10,287,938 95.42
Source: Direct Democracy

A boycott campaign reduced the Against votes in Western Ukraine.[10]

In republics not participating to the Soviet referendums [edit]

First, it must be noted an official referendum had been held in Estonia on 3 March 1991 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.[11]Also Latvia held an official referendum on 3 March 1991 where the overwhelming majority voted to re-establish the independent Latvian republic.[12]

Consequently, in these republics pro-Soviet front-organisations organised voluntary referendums without official sanction.[13][14] 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.[15]

Republic For Against Invalid
votes		 Total
votes		 Registered
voters		 Turnout
Votes % Votes %
Republic of Armenia 2,541 72.46 966 27.54 42 3,549 4,923 72.09
Republic of Georgia[16] 43,950 99.98 9 0.02 53 44,012 45,696 96.31
Republic of Estonia 211,090 95.46 10,040 4.54 1,110 222,240 299,681 74.16
Republic of Latvia 415,147 95.84 18,015 4.16 3,621 436,783 670,828 65.11
Republic of Lithuania 496,050 99.13 4,355 0.87 970 436,783 582,262 86.11
SSR Moldova 688,905 98.72 8,916 1.28 3,072 700,893 841,507 83.29
Source: Direct Democracy

Additional questions [edit]

In several of the republics, additional questions were added to the ballot. In Russia, an additional question was asked on whether elective post of the president of the Russian SFSR should be created. In Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan the additional question was on the sovereignty of their republics as part of a new union.[2]

Kyrgyz SSR [edit]

In the Kyrgyz SSR, voters were also asked "Do you agree that the Republic of Kyrgyzstan 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.[17]

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

Ukrainian SSR [edit]

In the Ukrainian SSR, 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?"[18] The proposal was approved by 81.7% of voters.[18]

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

Uzbek SSR [edit]

In the Uzbek SSR, 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%.[1]

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

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b Nohlen, D, Grotz, F & Hartmann, C (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p492 ISBN 019924958
  2. ^ a b c Referendum of March 1991 Russian History Encyclopedia on Answers.com
  3. ^ Duffy-Toft, M (2003) The geography of ethnic violence: identity, interests, and the indivisibility of territory p98
  4. ^ (Russian) Chronicle of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (1988-2008)
  5. ^ Historical Overview of the PMR (Transnistria, Transdniestr, Transdnestr, Pridnestrovie)
  6. ^ Understanding the Cold War: A Historian's Personal Reflections by Adam Bruno Ulam, Leopolis Press, 2000, ISBN: 0967996007 (page 353)
  7. ^ Russia and the World Economy: Problems of Integration by Alan H. Smith, Routledge, 1993, ISBN: 0415089255 (page 1)
  8. ^ Referendum on the preservation of the USSR, RIA Novosti (2011)
  9. ^ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1647 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  10. ^ Ukrainian Nationalism in the 1990s: A Minority Faith by Andrew Wilson, Cambridge University Press, 1996, ISBN: 0521574579 (page 127)
  11. ^ Template:Webbref
  12. ^ Template:Webbref
  13. ^ Об итогах референдума СССР, состоявшегося 17 марта 1991 года (Из сообщения Центральной комиссии референдума СССР) // Известия. — 1991. — 27 марта.
  14. ^ (Russian) Воля, которую мы потеряли... "Время" № 5. 16 марта 2001 года
  15. ^ (Russian)Сообщение Центральной комиссии референдума СССР об итогах референдума СССР, состоявшегося 17 марта 1991 года // Правда. — 1991. — 27 марта.
  16. ^ Referendum was held only in Abkhazia and South Ossetia
  17. ^ Nohlen, D, Grotz, F & Hartmann, C (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p443 ISBN 019924958
  18. ^ a b Nohlen & Stöver, p1985
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