A status referendum was held on the island of Bonaire on 21 October 1994. Voters were asked to choose between the status quo, autonomy within the Netherlands, integration with the Netherlands or independence. The vast majority voted for the status quo, but in a referendum in 2004 finally decided on integration into the Netherlands. [1]
Bonaire is an island in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital is Kralendijk, located near the ocean on the lee side of the island. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao form the ABC islands located less than one hundred miles northwest of Venezuela. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, the ABC islands lie outside Hurricane Alley. The islands have an arid climate that attracts visitors seeking warm, sunny weather year round. Bonaire is a popular snorkeling and scuba diving destination because of its multiple shore diving sites and easy access to the island's fringing reefs.
The Netherlands is a country located mainly in Northwestern Europe. The European portion of the Netherlands consists of twelve separate provinces that border Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, with maritime borders in the North Sea with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. Together with three island territories in the Caribbean Sea—Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba— it forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The official language is Dutch, but a secondary official language in the province of Friesland is West Frisian.
Choice | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
Status quo | 4,443 | 89.65 |
Autonomy within the Netherlands | 439 | 8.86 |
Integration into the Netherlands | 63 | 1.27 |
Independence | 11 | 0.22 |
Invalid/blank votes | - | – |
Total | 4,956 | 100 |
Registered voters/turnout | 7,450 | 66.52 |
Source: Direct Democracy |
The Netherlands Antilles was a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The country consisted of several island territories located in the Caribbean Sea. The islands were also informally known as the Dutch Antilles. The country came into being in 1954 as the autonomous successor of the Dutch colony of Curaçao and Dependencies, and was dissolved in 2010. The former Dutch colony of Surinam, although it was relatively close by on the continent of South America, did not become part of Netherlands Antilles but became a separate autonomous country in 1954. All the island territories that belonged to the Netherlands Antilles remain part of the kingdom today, although the legal status of each differs. As a group they are still commonly called the Dutch Caribbean, regardless of their legal status.
A double referendum was held in Transnistria on 17 September 2006. Voters were asked whether they approved of the possibility of renouncing independence and integration with Moldova, or alternatively independence and a possible future integration into the Russian Federation.
The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was dissolved on 10 October 2010.
A constitutional referendum was held in Bonaire on 17 December 2010. The new constitution would make the island a municipality within the Netherlands. Although the results showed 87% had voted against the new status, the referendum had required a 51% turnout and was subsequently declared invalid as the actual turnout was only 35%.
The Caribbean Netherlands are the three special municipalities of the Netherlands that are located in the Caribbean Sea. They consist of the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, although the term "Caribbean Netherlands" is sometimes used to refer to all of the islands in the Dutch Caribbean. In legislation, the three islands are also known as the BES islands. The islands are currently classified as public bodies in the Netherlands and as overseas countries and territories of the European Union; thus, EU law does not automatically apply.
A status referendum was held on the island of Sint Maarten on 22 June 2000.
A status referendum was held on the island of Curaçao on 8 April 2005. The option of becoming an autonomous area within the Kingdom of the Netherlands was approved by 68% of voters.
A status referendum was held on the island of Bonaire on 10 September 2004. A majority voted for integration into the Netherlands.
A status referendum was held on the island of Saba on 5 November 2004.
A status referendum was held on the island of Sint Eustatius on 8 April 2005.
A series of unofficial referendums on native rights and good governance was held in Mexico on 21 March 1999. It was organised by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), who proposed the government function in the interests of the people, that the country demilitarize in order to promote peace, that indigenous Mexicans be fully included in national life and have their rights recognized in the constitution. While all these measures passed overwhelmingly, only around 2.5 million people voted in the referendum, while 37 million people voted in the general election the following year.
A series of unofficial referendums on elections, political reforms and electoral participation was held in Mexico on 27 August 1995. It was organised by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), who proposed a detailed reform for democratization, that the country engage in free and reformed elections and that the EZLN convert itself into a political party and form a united front with other opposition parties. Another referendum question sought to establish equality for women in government and administration. All these measures passed, but this unofficial referendum appears to have had little effect on Mexican governance.
A number of referendums on alcohol licensing were held in New Zealand between 2 December 1894 and 15 August 1987. Because of their differing questions and rules, these referendums can be broken down into three time periods divided by what options were presented to voters.
A series of referendums on the definition of the Marshall Islands and its constitution was held in the Marshall Islands on 11 December 1990. Voters were asked to approve provisions designating the Marshall Islands as a republic and an archipelago. Other proposals concerned amendments guaranteeing the validity of the constitution throughout the whole archipelago and the process by which amendments enter into force. All of the measures passed and were adopted.
A referendum on a new constitution was held in Guam on 8 August 1987. Instead of passing the whole constitution as a unit, voters chose to approve each chapter of the document individually. With a low turnout of 39%, all chapters were approved except for Chapter I on relations with the United States and Chapter VII on Chamorro relations and immigration. Modified versions of these rejected chapters would be accepted in a referendum later the same year.
A status referendum was held on the island of Saba on 14 October 1994, alongside simultaneous referendums on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten. A majority voted for maintaining the status quo.
A status referendum was held on the island of Sint Eustatius on 14 October 1994, alongside simultaneous referendums on Bonaire, Saba and Sint Maarten. A majority voted for maintaining the status quo.
A non-binding status referendum was held in Bonaire on 18 December 2015. Voters were asked "Do you agree with the current status, which is a direct link to the Netherlands?" As a majority voted no, a second referendum on the preferred status will be held.
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