Martinique status referendum, 2010

Martinique status referendum, 2010

A referendum on a proposal to increase local autonomy for Martinique was held on Sunday, January 10, 2010.[1]

French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed the referendum after visiting the Caribbean island of Martinique in June 2009.[1] The French overseas departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe had suffered prolonged general strikes in early 2009, due to low wages and standards of living.[1]

Martinican voters were asked whether they wanted to more power to be given to the local government based in Fort-de-France.[1] If passed, Martinique would have been granted more autonomy, similar to New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean.[1]

Voters in Martinique ultimately rejected the autonomy referendum by a wide margin of 80%.[1] The referendum had a voter turnout of 55%.[1]

A similar referendum was defeated in nearby French Guiana by 69.8%.[1] The French Guianan referendum was also held on January 10, 2010.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "French Guiana and Martinique reject increased autonomy". BBC News. 2010-01-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8451095.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 

External links

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