1996 Polish referendum

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1996 Polish referendum
Flag of Poland.svg
18 February 1996 (1996-02-18)
Karta do glosowania w referendum w Polsce w 1996 roku (I).png
Ballot used in the referendum
OutcomeReferendums failed as voter turnout was below the 50% quorum required
1. Do you approve the enfranchisement of citizens?
Yes
 
96.15%
No
 
3.85%
1. Are you in favour of fulfilling the obligations towards pensioners and disability pensioners, as well as public sector employees, arising from Constitutional Tribunal rulings, using funds from the privatised state assets?
Yes
 
95.07%
No
 
4.93%
2. Are you in favour of allocating part of the privatised state assets to public pension funds?
Yes
 
95.99%
No
 
4.01%
3. Are you in favour of increasing the value of National Investment Fund share certificates by including more enterprises in this programme?
Yes
 
23.16%
No
 
76.84%
4. Are you in favour of including privatisation vouchers in the enfranchisement programme?
Yes
 
91.32%
No
 
8.68%

A double referendum was held in Poland on 18 February 1996. [1] One question concerned enfranchisement, whilst the others concerned state property. The first proposition was ordered by the President, whilst the others were created on the basis of resolution made by Sejm. All except one were approved by over 90% of voters. However, voter turnout was just 32%, well below the 50% threshold required to make the results valid. [2]

Contents

Act about the referendums

The act about the referendum was passed on 25 June 1995 (Dz.U. 99, position 487 from 25.08.1995)

Subject of the referendums

Enfranchisement question

On 29 November 1995 President of Poland Lech Wałęsa, after getting permission from Senate, mandated a referendum with the question:

Privatisation questions

On 21 December 1995 the Sejm passed a referendums act, in which four question were to be placed on the ballot:

  1. Are you in favour of fulfilling the obligations towards pensioners and disability pensioners, as well as public sector employees, arising from Constitutional Tribunal rulings, using funds from the privatised state assets? [3]
  2. Are you in favour of allocating part of the privatised state assets to public pension funds? [3]
  3. Are you in favour of increasing the value of National Investment Fund share certificates by including more enterprises in this programme? [3]
  4. Are you in favour of including privatisation vouchers in the enfranchisement programme? [3]

Results

QuestionForAgainstInvalid/
blank		Total
votes		Registered
voters		TurnoutOutcome
Votes%Votes%
Enfranchisement of citizens8,580,12996.15343,1973.85152,6789,076,00428,009,71532.40Turnout quorum not reached
Fulfilling obligations towards pensioners and public sector workers8,439,45895.07437,4664.93208,2219,085,14532.44Turnout quorum not reached
Allocating privatised state assets to public pension funds8,512,93195.99355,3634.01216,8519,085,14532.44Turnout quorum not reached
Including more enterprises in the National Investment Fund1,985,56723.166,588,55976.84511,0199,085,14532.44Turnout quorum not reached
Including privatisation vouchers in the enfranchisement programme8,022,35391.32762,9058.68299,8879,085,14532.44Turnout quorum not reached
Source: Source: Dz. U. 1996 r. nr 22, poz. 101
Ballot used for questions about privatisation. (Without the PKW and district commission for the referendum stamps) Karta do glosowania w referendum w Polsce w 1996 roku (II).png
Ballot used for questions about privatisation. (Without the PKW and district commission for the referendum stamps)

References

  1. ↑ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1491 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ↑ Polish Referendum: Mixed Results Stall Privatization Chicago Tribune, 21 February 1996
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Referenda 1996 – Dane Wyborcze". danewyborcze.kbw.gov.pl. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
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