Tuvaluan constitutional referendum, 2008
Encyclopedia
A constitutional referendum
was held in Tuvalu
on 30 April 2008. Voters were asked whether to retain the parliamentary monarchy of Tuvalu
, or abolish
it in favour of a republic
.
Turnout was low, with about 2000 voters of a potential 9000 taking part. 1,260 voters opted to retain the monarchy, while only 679 voted in favour of a republic. In consequence, Tuvalu maintains its monarchy, and Queen Elizabeth II remains monarch, as per the current constitution.
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held in Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
on 30 April 2008. Voters were asked whether to retain the parliamentary monarchy of Tuvalu
Monarchy of Tuvalu
The monarchy of Tuvalu is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Tuvalu. The present monarch of Tuvalu is Queen Elizabeth II. Tuvalu shares the sovereign with 15 other Commonwealth realms...
, or abolish
Abolished monarchy
Throughout history, monarchies have been abolished, either through revolutions, legislative reforms, coups d'état, or wars. The twentieth century saw a major acceleration of this process, with many monarchies violently overthrown by revolution or war, or else abolished as part of the process of...
it in favour of a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
.
Turnout was low, with about 2000 voters of a potential 9000 taking part. 1,260 voters opted to retain the monarchy, while only 679 voted in favour of a republic. In consequence, Tuvalu maintains its monarchy, and Queen Elizabeth II remains monarch, as per the current constitution.
See also
- Australian republic referendum, 1999Australian republic referendum, 1999The Australian republic referendum held on 6 November 1999 was a two-question referendum to amend the Constitution of Australia. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic with a President appointed by Parliament following a bi-partisan appointment model which had...
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines constitutional referendum, 2009Saint Vincent and the Grenadines constitutional referendum, 2009A constitutional referendum was held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 25 November 2009, which would have replaced the constitution in force since independence in 1979. The proposal was supported by only 43.13% of voters in the referendum, well short of the required two-thirds threshold...