Moldovan referendum, 1994

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The Moldovan referendum of 1994 was a nationwide referendum in Moldova on whether or not the country should conserve its independence and territorial integrity. It was held on March 6, 1994.

Overview

Only one complex question was asked, and citizens could answer with "yes" or "no". The text of question was the following:

“

Do you want the Republic of Moldova to develop as an independent and unitary state, in the frontiers recognized in the day where Moldova declared sovereignty, to promote a policy of neutrality and to maintain mutually-benefiting economic relations with all the countries of the world, and to guarantee its citizens equal rights, according to international law?[1]

”

We give here the original in Romanian: Sunteţi pentru ca Republica Moldova să se dezvolte ca un stat independent şi unitar, in frontierele recunoscute în ziua proclamării suveranităţii Moldovei (23.06.1990), să promoveze o politică de neutralitate şi să menţină relaţii economice reciproc avantajoase cu toate ţările lumii şi să garanteze cetăţenilor săi drepturi egale, în conformitate cu normele dreptului internaţional?^[2]

The official results of the referendum showed that with a voter turnout of approximately 75%, 95.4% of Moldovans voted "Yes".

The referendum was organized under the title "Talking with the People sociological poll" (in Romanian "sondajul sociologic La Sfat cu Poporul").^[3]

Interpretations

Many public figures and much of the press presented the referendum as a strong blow to the movement for unification of Romania and Moldova in both countries, despite the fact that the question did not refer directly to Romania, but to independence. It also referred to territorial integrity, which was a main preoccupation due to the Transnistrian conflict.

Critics of the referendum ^[4] point to two main organization issues:

1. the title, which was not "referendum", but "sociological poll"
2. the fact that the unique question asked required a unique answer to several issues.

Notes

1. ^ The question asked during the referendum. Two sources: [1], [2].
2. ^ The question asked during the referendum. Two sources: [3], [4].
3. ^ Moldovan Identity and the Politics of Pan-Romanianism, by Charles King. In Slavic Review, Vol. 53, No. 2, 1994, pp. 345-368 doi:10.2307/2501297 [5].
4. ^ Critics of the referendum: [6], [7], [8].

References

• Cazul Ilaşcu şi alţii versus Moldova şi Rusia ("Case of Ilaşcu and others v. Moldova and Russia"), European Court for Human Rights (Case nr.48787/99), decision of 8 July 2004. Official Monitor's special edition of 21 September 2004. Internally described as translated (into Romanian) from French. Accessed online 8 July 2006. (Romanian)
• "Romania" in the Library of Congress Country Study on Moldova, June 1995. (DK507.23 .B45 1995). Accessed online 8 July 2006. (English)
• Chris Springer, Moldova and Romania: The Broken Engagement, student paper published online by Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe. Accessed online 8 July 2006. (English)