Tokelauan self-determination referendum, 2007
Encyclopedia
A referendum on self-determination was held in Tokelau
on 20 October and on 22–24 October 2007, with the result being that self-governance was rejected. Had it been successful, the referendum would have changed Tokelau's status from an unincorporated New Zealand
territory to a self-governing state in free association
with Wellington, akin to the Cook Islands
and Niue
. However, the referendum required a two-thirds positive vote to pass, and the "yes" side fell short of the required total by 16 votes.
The referendum was open to Tokelauans aged 18 or older, with 789 people eligible to vote. A majority of two-thirds of voters was necessary for the referendum to be accepted.
After the narrow failure of the first such referendum in 2006, it was decided that another referendum would be held late the following year. Tokelau's leaders believe that concerns among Tokelauan expatriates were a factor in the failure of the 2006 referendum, even though they were not eligible to vote, and assured them that they would not lose their rights to return to Tokelau if the 2007 referendum had passed. There were 23% more people eligible to vote in the 2007 referendum than in the previous years.
The schedule was:
Had the proposal succeeded, a date would have been set, most likely in mid-2008, for the "day of self government". However, the proposal failed again by an even smaller margin — 16 more "yes" votes would have been needed to approve it. It is possible that the issue will be voted on again in the future; the leader of the largest group of overseas Tokelauans (the Tokelauan community in the Hutt Valley in New Zealand) Henry Joseph called for another vote within two years, with the required approval being changed to a simple majority.
Tokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
on 20 October and on 22–24 October 2007, with the result being that self-governance was rejected. Had it been successful, the referendum would have changed Tokelau's status from an unincorporated New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
territory to a self-governing state in free association
Associated state
An associated state is the minor partner in a formal, free relationship between a political territory with a degree of statehood and a nation, for which no other specific term, such as protectorate, is adopted...
with Wellington, akin to the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
and Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
. However, the referendum required a two-thirds positive vote to pass, and the "yes" side fell short of the required total by 16 votes.
The referendum was open to Tokelauans aged 18 or older, with 789 people eligible to vote. A majority of two-thirds of voters was necessary for the referendum to be accepted.
After the narrow failure of the first such referendum in 2006, it was decided that another referendum would be held late the following year. Tokelau's leaders believe that concerns among Tokelauan expatriates were a factor in the failure of the 2006 referendum, even though they were not eligible to vote, and assured them that they would not lose their rights to return to Tokelau if the 2007 referendum had passed. There were 23% more people eligible to vote in the 2007 referendum than in the previous years.
The schedule was:
- 20 October: Apia, Samoa (overseas voting). 63 votes cast.
- 22 October: FakaofoFakaofoFakaofo, formerly known as Bowditch Island, is a South Pacific Ocean atoll located at 171° 15' West, 9° 25' South in the Tokelau Group. The actual land area is only about 3 km², consisting of islets on a coral reef surrounding a central lagoon of some 45 km²...
- 23 October: NukunonuNukunonuNukunonu is a group of coral islets within Tokelau in the south Pacific Ocean. Covering 5.5 km², it is the largest of the three islands that constitute Tokelau, and is composed of an atoll surrounding a central lagoon, which itself covers some 90 km²...
- 24 October: AtafuAtafuAtafu, formerly known as the Duke of York Group is a group of 42 coral islets within Tokelau in the south Pacific Ocean, 500 km north of Samoa. Covering 2.5 km², it is the smallest of the three islands that constitute Tokelau, and is composed of an atoll surrounding a central lagoon,...
Had the proposal succeeded, a date would have been set, most likely in mid-2008, for the "day of self government". However, the proposal failed again by an even smaller margin — 16 more "yes" votes would have been needed to approve it. It is possible that the issue will be voted on again in the future; the leader of the largest group of overseas Tokelauans (the Tokelauan community in the Hutt Valley in New Zealand) Henry Joseph called for another vote within two years, with the required approval being changed to a simple majority.
External links
- Official website of the Council of Ongoing Government