Gibraltar sovereignty referendum, 1967

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A sovereignty referendum was held in Gibraltar on 10 September 1967, in which Gibraltarian voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish sovereignty, with Gibraltarians keeping their British citizenship and a special status for Gibraltar within Spain; or remain under British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government.[1]

Overview

Upon the request of the resolution 2070 of the United Nations General Assembly (approved on 16 December 1965), the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom started formal talks on Gibraltar during 1966. On 18 May 1966, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernando Castiella made a formal proposal to the UK Government comprising three clauses:[2][3]

  1. The cancellation of the Treaty of Utrecht and the subsequent return of Gibraltar to Spain.
  2. The presence of the British base in Gibraltar, its use being subject to a specific Anglo-Spanish agreement.
  3. A "Personal Statute" for Gibraltarians, under United Nations guarantee, protecting their cultural, social and economic interest in Gibraltar or anywhere else in Spain, including their British nationality. An "appropriate [..] administrative formula" should be also agreed.

The Spanish offer had little chance of being accepted by Gibraltarians. At that time, the Spanish claim was being made by the Francoist dictatorship which had arisen from a bloody civil war which did not allow its own citizens the civil liberties that the British government guaranteed to the Gibraltarians. Furthermore, the Spanish economy, though beginning to grow, was still very backward (especially compared to the living standard the Gibraltarians had achieved), while at the same time working-class people across the frontier were living in a state of great poverty. Economic considerations aside, the idea of Spain participating in any way the sovereignty or government of The Rock was unacceptable to nearly all Gibraltarians.

The options presented to Gibraltarians were:[4]

  1. To pass under Spanish sovereignty in accordance with the terms proposed by the Spanish Government to Her Majesty's Government on 18 May 1966; or
  2. Voluntarily to retain their link with Britain, with democratic local institutions and with Britain retaining its present responsibilities.

Results

Choice Votes %
British sovereignty12,13899.64
Spanish sovereignty440.36
Invalid/blank votes55–
Total12,237100
Registered voters/turnout12,67295.67
Source: Direct Democracy

Aftermath

A new constitution was passed in 1969. Gibraltar National Day has been celebrated annually on 10 September since 1992 to commemorate Gibraltar's first sovereignty referendum of 1967.

Related images
Devil's Gap Road in Gibraltar's Upper Town. The steps have been painted with the Union Flag ever since the referendum 
A car painted to celebrate the results of the referendum 
Referendum Gate at Southport Gates in Charles V Wall, Gibraltar. Named to commemorate the referendum 

References

  1. ↑ Garcia, Joseph (1994). Gibraltar - The Making of a People. Gibraltar: Medsun.
  2. ↑ George Hills (1974). Rock of Contention. A History of Gibraltar. London: Robert Hale. p. 456. ISBN 0-7091-4352-4.
  3. ↑ United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1966). Gibraltar talks with Spain (May-October 1966). Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by Command of Her Majesty. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 36.
  4. ↑ Antonio Cassese (1998) Self-Determination of Peoples: A Legal Reappraisal Cambridge University Press, p208

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.