Last week, there was a referendum on the islands to find out what was the will of the people in terms of future sovereignty. This was closely monitored by a team of international observers.
Here are the results.
Results of the referendum on the Political Status of the Falkland Islands
On Monday 11th March 2013, Keith Padgett,
Chief Referendum Officer gave notice that the result of the referendum
on the Political Status of the Falkland Islands are as follows:
The number of ballot papers issued was 1,522
The number of votes cast at the referendum was 1,518
The total number of rejected ballot papers was 1
The total number of votes validly cast at the referendum was 1,517
The percentage of turnout at the referendum was 92%
The number of “Yes” votes cast was 1,513 (99.8%)
The number of “No” votes cast was 3 (0.2%)
1 vote was unaccounted for
The international observation mission’s preliminary findings were released after the official announcement of the vote result. Full statement is available to download in English and in Spanish here.
“It is our finding that the Falkland Islands referendum process was free and fair, reflecting the democratic will of the voters of the Falkland Islands,” said Brad Smith, the Head of the International Observation Mission. “The international observation mission has concluded that the voting process was executed in accordance with international standards and local laws. The process was technically sound, with a systematic adherence to established voting procedures.”
Clear enough, wouldn't you say. Some of those voters are in the ninth generation of families to have lived there.
The number of ballot papers issued was 1,522
The number of votes cast at the referendum was 1,518
The total number of rejected ballot papers was 1
The total number of votes validly cast at the referendum was 1,517
The percentage of turnout at the referendum was 92%
The number of “Yes” votes cast was 1,513 (99.8%)
The number of “No” votes cast was 3 (0.2%)
1 vote was unaccounted for
The international observation mission’s preliminary findings were released after the official announcement of the vote result. Full statement is available to download in English and in Spanish here.
“It is our finding that the Falkland Islands referendum process was free and fair, reflecting the democratic will of the voters of the Falkland Islands,” said Brad Smith, the Head of the International Observation Mission. “The international observation mission has concluded that the voting process was executed in accordance with international standards and local laws. The process was technically sound, with a systematic adherence to established voting procedures.”
Clear enough, wouldn't you say. Some of those voters are in the ninth generation of families to have lived there.
Argentina's president dismisses it as 'irrelevant'.
She claims the islanders are 'squatters' on land which naturally must be Argentinian territory, because... well, just because.
Here's a timeline, via Wikipedia , showing who, and for how long, has historically held the islands.
| February 1764 – April 1767 |
 France |
| January 1765 – July 1770 |
 Great Britain |
| April 1767 – February 1811 |
 Spain |
| September 1771 – May 1776 |
Great Britain |
| February 1811 – August 1829 |
None |
| August 1829 – December 1831 |
 United Provinces |
| December 1831 – January 1832 |
 United States |
| January–December 1832 | None |
| December 1832 – January 1833 |
 Argentine Confederation |
| January–August 1833 |  United Kingdom |
| August 1833 – January 1834 |
None |
| January 1834 – April 1982 |
United Kingdom |
| April–June 1982 |  Argentina |
| June 1982 – present |
United Kingdom |
So it seems several others could proffer a claim too. Including the U.S.
The people there speak English, and their houses, their roads, their world owes nothing to Argentina.
If we are to talk of the tyranny of colonialism, which President Kircher brings up, well maybe we might ask her to explain why the population of the country she represents speaks spanish as its main language?
And we might ask her how the native Fuegian and Patagonian tribes fared under the colonisation of her forbears? How they were hunted and slaughtered by the colonial Argentinians of european origin.
It seems to me that the people of the islands should be heard, and supported by the world. And that any nation who talks of 'Democracy' as an ideal, should stand by them.
(Next Week: Canada invades St Pierre and Miquelon, after finding a tiny French colonial outpost only a few miles off the southern edge of Newfoundland. )
