Martinique status referendum, 2010
Encyclopedia
A referendum on a proposal
to increase local autonomy
for Martinique
was held on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy
proposed the referendum after visiting the Caribbean
island of Martinique
in June 2009. The French overseas departments of Martinique
and Guadeloupe
had suffered prolonged general strikes
in early 2009, due to low wages and standards of living.
Martinican voters were asked whether they wanted to more power to be given to the local government based in Fort-de-France
. If passed, Martinique would have been granted more autonomy, similar to New Caledonia
in the Pacific Ocean
.
Voters in Martinique ultimately rejected the autonomy referendum by a wide margin of 80%. The referendum had a voter turnout of 55%.
A similar referendum
was defeated in nearby French Guiana
by 69.8%. The French Guianan referendum was also held on January 10, 2010.
Proposal (business)
A business proposal is a written offer from a seller to a prospective buyer.Business proposals are often a key step in the complex sales process—i.e., whenever a buyer considers more than price in a purchase.-Overview:...
to increase local autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
for Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
was held on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
proposed the referendum after visiting the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
in June 2009. The French overseas departments of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
and Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
had suffered prolonged general strikes
2009 French Caribbean general strikes
The 2009 French Caribbean general strikes began in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe on 20 January 2009, and spread to neighbouring Martinique on 5 February 2009. Both islands are located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean...
in early 2009, due to low wages and standards of living.
Martinican voters were asked whether they wanted to more power to be given to the local government based in Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:...
. If passed, Martinique would have been granted more autonomy, similar to New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Voters in Martinique ultimately rejected the autonomy referendum by a wide margin of 80%. The referendum had a voter turnout of 55%.
A similar referendum
French Guiana status referendum, 2010
A referendum on a proposal to increase autonomy for French Guiana was held on Sunday, January 10, 2010.French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed the referendum after visiting the Caribbean island of Martinique in June 2009...
was defeated in nearby French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
by 69.8%. The French Guianan referendum was also held on January 10, 2010.