Mahoran status referendum, 2009

Last updated

Mayotte
Coat of Arms of Mayotte.svg
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Mayotte

A referendum on becoming an overseas department of France was held in Mayotte on 29 March 2009. Mayotte had been an overseas collectivity of France since 2003. In contrast to the four other similar regions (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion and French Guiana), Mayotte would not have become an Overseas department (DOM) or an Overseas region (ROM), but would only have had a single assembly; the four other existing DOM-ROM will have the option of changing their status to this format as well. [1]

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Mayotte Overseas region and department in France

Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France officially named the Department of Mayotte. It consists of a main island, Grande-Terre, a smaller island, Petite-Terre, and several islets around these two. Mayotte is part of the Comoros archipelago, located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeast Africa, between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. The department status of Mayotte is recent and the region remains, by a significant margin, the poorest in France. Mayotte is nevertheless much more prosperous than the other countries of the Mozambique Channel, making it a major destination for illegal immigration.

The French overseas collectivities, like the French regions, are first-order administrative divisions of France, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies and other French overseas entities with a particular status, all of which became COMs by constitutional reform on 28 March 2003. The COMs should not be confused with the overseas regions and overseas departments, which have the same status as Mainland France but are just located outside Europe. As integral parts of France, overseas collectivities are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council. Only one COM, Saint Martin, is part of the European Union and can vote to elect members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The Pacific COMs use the CFP franc, a currency pegged to the euro, whereas the Atlantic COMs use the euro directly. As of 31 March 2011, there were five COMs:

Contents

As a result of the yes vote, Mayotte became the 101st French department in 2011, and the first with a population overwhelmingly of the Muslim faith. [2]

In the administrative divisions of France, the department is one of the three levels of government below the national level, between the administrative regions and the commune. Ninety-six departments are in metropolitan France, and five are overseas departments, which are also classified as regions. Departments are further subdivided into 334 arrondissements, themselves divided into cantons; the last two have no autonomy, and are used for the organisation of police, fire departments, and sometimes, elections.

The move has been opposed by the African Union and Comoros, who claim it is "occupation by a foreign power" and several protests have been held in Moroni, capital of Comoros. [3] [4] The Comoran vice-president said the vote was a "declaration of war". [5]

African Union Supranational union

The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa, with exception of various territories of European possessions located in Africa. The bloc was founded on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and launched on 9 July 2002 in South Africa. The intention of the AU is to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa by 32 signatory governments. The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states. The AU's secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa.

Comoros sovereign archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean

The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an island country in the Indian Ocean located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel off the eastern coast of Africa between northeastern Mozambique, the French region of Mayotte, and northwestern Madagascar. The capital and largest city in Comoros is Moroni. The religion of the majority of the population is Sunni Islam.

Moroni, Comoros Place in Grande Comore, Comoros

Moroni is the largest city, federal capital and seat of the government of the Union of the Comoros, a sovereign archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean. Moroni means "at the river". Moroni is the capital of the semi-autonomous island of Ngazidja, the largest of the three main islands of the republic. The city's estimated population in 2003 was 41,557 residents. Moroni, which lies along the Route Nationale 1, has a port and several mosques such as the Badjanani Mosque.

Background

The population of Mayotte was approximately 186,000 at the time of the election. [6] Ninety-five percent of Mahorans are Sunni Muslims. [6] Many Mahorans are fluent only in local languages, including Shimaore and Bushi, rather than the French language. [6] It is believed that one-third of the population consists of illegal immigrants, mostly from the neighboring, impoverished Comoros islands. [6] Continued political union with France has allowed Mayotte to remain relatively prosperous, at least by regional standards, [6] compared to the independent Comoros. The Comoros, which has suffered from economic and political instability since its independence, continues to claim Mayotte as part of its territory. [6]

Bushi is a dialect of Malagasy spoken in the French-ruled Comorian island of Mayotte. Malagasy dialects most closely related to Bushi are spoken in northwestern Madagascar in the area of Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez) and Mahajanga (Majunga), which is also the closest point in Madagascar to Mayotte. Bushi and Majunga together are considered one of the Malagasy languages by Glottolog.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised a referendum on Mayotte's future status during the 2007 French presidential election. [6]

Nicolas Sarkozy 23rd President of the French Republic

Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-BocsaKOGF, GCB is a retired French politician who served as President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra from 16 May 2007 until 15 May 2012.

Many Mahorans hoped to benefit economically in the future with a possible yes result. The unemployment rate in Mayotte stood at over 25% at the time of the 2009 referendum. [6]

Support

All of Mayotte's major political parties and politicians, including the General Council President Ahmed Attoumani Douchina, supported the "yes" campaign. [2] For example, Abdoulatifou Aly, a Mahoran legislator, supported the "yes" campaign arguing that Mayotte has a longer history within France than some areas of the mainland in an interview with L'Express , "We may be black, poor and Muslim, but we have been French longer than Nice." [6] The campaign also received strong support from the French government in Paris.

Public opinion polls leading up to the referendum showed strong support for closer political union from the vast majority of Mayotte's citizens, and the "yes" campaign was expected to win by a wide margin. [2] Many saw the comparative advantages of full French citizenship as greater than the need to retain some traditional local customs, such as polygamy, which would be eliminated under French law. [2]

Local opposition

Some Islamic imams and religious leaders had urged a "no" vote. [2] The imam of Mamoudzou, Mayotte's capital city, campaigned strongly against the referendum due to the expected abolition of polygamy with a "yes" victory. [2] "The law of the Qur'an permits a man to have two or three wives. I'm polygamous. I've already let go of two or three wives in the past." [2]

Results

Early poll results indicated that the "yes" option had received approximately 95.2% of the total votes cast. [6] [7] The estimated voter turnout was a high 61% of eligible Mahorans. [6]

French Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie hailed the results of the landslide election saying, "This will reinforce the place of Mayotte in the republic, reaffirming our founding values, particularly equality between men and women, the same justice for all, and the place of the French language." [6]

ChoiceVotes%
Yes check.svg Yes41,16095.24
No2,0554.76
Valid votes43,21598.59
Invalid or blank votes6161.41
Total votes43,831100.00
Registered voters and turnout71,42061.37
Source: Direct Democracy

Referendum implications

With a yes result, Mayotte, which was an overseas collectivity, became an integral French department on 31 March 2011.

Local judicial, economic and social laws and customs were changed to conform with French law. Mayotte banned polygamy before it became a department. [6] Women's rights were increased to French standards. Women didn't have equal inheritance rights in Mayotte, [6] which was later modified to comply with the French justice system. The minimum age in which a person can legally marry was raised from 15 to 18 years old. [6] Mayotte legalised same-sex civil unions, known as PACS in France.

The traditional Mayotte local court system, which combined Quranic principles of Islam with African and Malagasy customs, were phased out in favor of the French legal system. [2] Islamic law was abolished and replaced by uniform French civil code. [8] Mayotte had a traditional Islamic legal system consisting of qadis, as religious scholars were known, who acted as judges in cases related to Islamic law. [6] Islamic courts and justice system were replaced by secular courts, though the qadis retained a role as legal consultants. [6]

As a department, Mayotte became eligible for expanded French social and economic programs, as well as European Union funds. [6] However, the French government didn't immediately extend the social welfare system enjoyed by metropolitan France. [2] Instead, social service benefits were gradually extended to Mahoran citizens over a period of 20 years, until they are equal to those enjoyed in metropolitan France. [2] The French government also promised financial support to strengthen Mahoran infrastructure. [6]

income taxes was increased as a result of their full integration in the French republic. [6]

Related Research Articles

Politics of the Comoros

Politics of the Union of the Comoros takes place in a framework of a federal presidential republic, whereby the President of the Comoros is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.

Politics of Mayotte

The politics of Mayotte takes place in a framework of a French overseas region and department, until 2011 an overseas collectivity. Local politics takes place in a parliamentary representative democratic setting whereby the President of the General Council is the head of government, of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. The status of Mayotte changed in 2001 towards one very close to the status of the départements of mainland France, with the particular designation of collectivité départementale, although the island is still claimed by the Comoros. This change was approved by 73% at a referendum on Mayotte. After the constitutional reform of 2003 it became a collectivité d'outre-mer while keeping the title collectivité départementale de Mayotte. Mayotte became an overseas department of France on 31 March 2011 following the result of the March 2009 Mahoran status referendum, which was overwhelmingly approved by around 95% of voters.

Anjouan Island in the Indian Ocean

Anjouan is an autonomous high island in the Indian Ocean that forms part of the Union of the Comoros. Its chief town is Mutsamudu and, as of 2006, its population is around 277,500. The total area of the island is 424 square kilometers.

The overseas departments and regions of France are departments of France which are outside metropolitan France, the European part of France. They have nearly the same political status as metropolitan departments, although special constitutional provisions allow them greater autonomy and they are excluded from certain domestic statistics, such as the unemployment rate.

Comoro Islands archipelago in the Indian Ocean

The Comoro Islands or Comoros form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the south-east coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and north-west of Madagascar. The islet of Banc du Geyser and the Glorioso Islands are part of the archipelago. The islands are politically divided between Union of the Comoros and two territories of France : the department of Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands, a part of the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, the 5th district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Colonel Mohamed Bacar was President of Anjouan, one of the three autonomous islands that make up the Union of the Comoros, from 2001 to 2008. He is a former chief of police on Anjouan and has studied extensively in France and the United States. He was part of a military coup on Anjouan in August 2001 and soon became President. It is alleged he rigged the elections to become the first president of Anjouan in March 2002, in part due to his leading role in the separatist movement. He was ousted by the combined forces of the Government of the Union of Comoros and the African Union in the March 2008 invasion of Anjouan.

Elections in the Comoros

Elections in the Comoros take place within the framework of a multi-party democracy and a presidential system. The President and the majority of the seats in the Assembly of the Union are directly elected.

Islam is the faith of the majority of the residents of the island of Mayotte with 97% as Muslims and 3% Christians. 85,000 of the total 90,000 inhabitants of the island are Comorians. The Comorians are a blend of settlers from many areas: Iranian traders, mainland Africans, Arabs and Malagasy. Comorian communities can also be found in other parts of the Comoros chain as well as in Madagascar.

The Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa. France first established colonial rule in the Comoros in 1841. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for the Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, but the Comorian parliament passed a unilateral resolution declaring independence. The deputies of Mayotte, which remained under French control, abstained. Referendums on all four of the islands excluding Mayotte showed strong support for independence. Ahmed Abdallah proclaimed the Comoros' independence on September 5, 1975 and became its first president.

2008 invasion of Anjouan conflict

The invasion of Anjouan, on 25 March 2008, was an amphibious assault led by the Comoros, backed by African Union (AU) forces, including troops from Sudan, Tanzania, Senegal, along with logistical support from Libya and France. The objective of the invasion was to topple Colonel Mohamed Bacar's leadership in Anjouan, an island in the Union of Comoros, when he refused to step down after a disputed 2007 election, in defiance of the federal government and the AU. The Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean has had a fractious history since independence from France in 1975, experiencing more than 20 coups or attempted coups.

Outline of Mayotte Overview of and topical guide to Mayotte

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Mayotte:

Mayotte – overseas department of France located in the Comoros Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The department comprises the main island of Grande-Terre, a smaller island, Petite-Terre, and several islets at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. The territory is geographically part of the Comoro Islands, but has been politically separate since the 1970s. The territory is also known as Mahoré, the native name of its main island, especially by advocates of its inclusion in the Union of Comoros.

Polygamy is illegal in France, as of 1993, and has been the center of recent political debates due to surges of Malian immigrants living polygamously in the country. Due to such, stricter laws have been enforced to stomp out polygamy.

1974 Comorian independence referendum

An independence referendum was held in the Comoros on 22 December 1974. The overall result was a strong "yes" vote, with 94.57% of voters voting for independence and almost all the "no" votes being cast in Mayotte, where there was a majority for remaining under French control. In contrast, on Mohéli only five out of 6,059 votes were against independence. Voter turnout was 93.3%.

Overseas France Collective grouping of all French-administered territories and collectivities outside Europe

Overseas France consists of all the French-administered territories outside the European continent, mostly relics of the French colonial empire. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in both France's National Assembly and Senate, which together make up the French Parliament. Their citizens have French nationality and vote for the president of France. They have the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament. Overseas France includes island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, French Guiana on the South American continent, and several periantarctic islands as well as a claim in Antarctica.

Grande-Terre (Mayotte) Main island of Mayotte, where is located the capital, Mamoudzou

Grande-Terre is the main island of the French overseas region of Mayotte. The island is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique.

Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland To permit marriage to be contracted by two persons without distinction as to their sex

The Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution Act 2015 amended the Constitution of Ireland to permit marriage to be contracted by two persons without distinction as to their sex. Prior to the enactment, the Constitution was assumed to contain an implicit prohibition on same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland. It was approved at a referendum on 22 May 2015 by 62% of voters on a turnout of 61%. This was the first time that a state legalised same-sex marriage through a popular vote. Two legal challenges regarding the conduct of the referendum were dismissed on 30 July by the Court of Appeal, and the bill was signed into law by the President of Ireland on 29 August. An amendment to the Marriage Act 2015 provided for marriages permitted by the new constititional status. The act came into force on 16 November 2015; the first same-sex marriage ceremony was held on 17 November 2015.

References

  1. ↑ Départementalisation de Mayotte : début d'une campagne d'explication Archived 2 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine ., La Gazette, 9 January 2009 (in French)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bodin, Johan (29 March 2009). "Mayotte readies for referendum on overseas department status". France 24 . Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  3. ↑ Mayotte to hold referendum on whether to become France's 101st département, Telegraph, 27 March 2009
  4. ↑ Comorans demonstrate against French referendum for Mayotte, Afrique en ligne, 28 March 2009
  5. ↑ Mayotte backs French connection, BBC News, 29 March 2009
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Bauer, Christophe (29 March 2009). "Mayotte votes for full French integration". France 24 . Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  7. ↑ Mayotte : 95.2% de "oui" au final, Le Figaro, 29 March 2009 (in French)
  8. ↑ Mayotte vote en faveur de la départementalisation, Le Monde, 29 March 2009 (in French)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.