1991 Soviet Union referendum

A referendum on the future of the Soviet Union was held on 17 March 1991 across the Soviet Union. The question put to voters was

Voters at a Lithuanian polling station

Do you consider necessary the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics in which the rights and freedom of an individual of any ethnicity will be fully guaranteed?[1]

(Russian text: Считаете ли Вы необходимым сохранение Союза Советских Социалистических Республик как обновлённой федерации равноправных суверенных республик, в которой будут в полной мере гарантироваться права и свободы человека любой национальности?)
(Russian transliteration: Schitayete li Vy neobkhodimym sokhraneniye Soyuza Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik kak obnovlonnoy federatsii ravnopravnykh suverennykh respublik, v kotoroy budut v polnoy mere garantirovat'sya prava i svobody cheloveka lyuboy natsional'nosti?)

Soviet Union referendum, 1991
Считаете ли Вы необходимым сохранение Союза Советских Социалистических Республик как обновлённой федерации равноправных суверенных республик, в которой будут в полной мере гарантироваться права и свободы человека любой национальности? (see text for translation)
Date	17 March 1991
Results Votes % Yes 113,512,812 77.85% No 32,303,977 22.15% Valid votes 145,816,789 98.14% Invalid or blank votes 2,757,817 1.86% Total votes 148,574,606 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 185,647,355 80.03%
Results by republic   Yes     No
Referendum held: 17 March 1991

Voting bulletin

The referendum was made with the aim of approving the Union of Sovereign States and was oblivious to the reform of the economic system question that took place after the victory of Boris Yeltsin in the elections.

In Kazakhstan, the wording of the referendum was changed by substituting "equal sovereign states" for "equal sovereign republics".[2]

In Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Kyrgizia additional question were asked about sovereignty and independence of these republics.

Although the vote was boycotted by the authorities in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia (though not the breakaway province of Abkhazia, where the result was over 98% in favour,[3] and in South Ossetia),[4] Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova (though not Transnistria or Gagauzia),[5] turnout was 80% across the rest of the Soviet Union.[2] The referendum's question was approved by nearly 70% of voters in all nine other republics that took part.[6] It was the only referendum in the history of the Soviet Union, as the August Coup prevented the formation of the renewed federation, causing the Soviet Union to be dissolved on 26 December 1991.[7][8]

Overview

On December 24, 1990, deputies of the 4th Congress of People's Deputies, having voted by name, decided to consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured human rights and freedoms of any nationality.[9] The referendum considered five questions:

• Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured of human rights and freedoms of any nationality? (Yes/No)
• Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a single state? (Yes/No)
• Do you consider it necessary to preserve the socialist system in the USSR? (Yes/No)
• Do you consider it necessary to preserve in the renovated Union of Soviet power? (Yes/No)
• Do you feel the need to safeguard the Union in the renewed human rights and freedoms of any nationality? (Yes/No) (Any legal or legislative consequences, in case of acceptance of, or otherwise, was not specified)

On the same day, at the initiative and insistence of the President Mikhail Gorbachev,[10][11] the Congress adopted two decisions on holding a referendum on the private ownership of land [6] and on the preservation of the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign of Soviet Socialist Republics [7]. For the adoption of the first resolution voted in 1553 deputies, against - 84, abstained - 70. For the adoption of the second resolution voted in 1677 deputies, against - 32, abstained - 66.[10]

However, concerning the first decision the Chairman YH Kalmykov later explained at a session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Supreme Council Committee for Legislation, the president asked to refrain from holding a referendum on the issue of private property.[10]

Second course was given to the decree. It said that "due to numerous appeals of workers expressed concern about the fate of the USSR, and given that the preservation of a single union state is the most important issue of public life, affects the interests of each person, all the Soviet Union's population",[12] the Congress of People's Deputies USSR decided:

1. Conduct a referendum of the USSR to address the issue of maintaining the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign Soviet Socialist Republics, taking into account the results of voting for each country separately.
2. To instruct the USSR Supreme Council set a date for the referendum and ensure its measures.
— Resolution of the USSR from LICs December 24, 1990 № 1856-1[12]

On 27 December 1990, Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR decided to enact it adopted on the day the Law of the USSR "On the popular vote (Soviet Union referendum)".[12]

According to Art. 5 of the Law of the USSR "On the popular vote (Soviet Union referendum)" [13] Law of the USSR referendum destination belonged to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, and on matters not related to the exclusive jurisdiction of the USSR Congress of People's Deputies, in the period between congresses – the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. "Based on the fact that no one, except the people can not take the historical responsibility for the fate of the USSR, pursuant to the decision of the fourth Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR in accordance with the law on the referendum of the USSR"[14] On January 16, 1991 the Supreme Council USSR decided that to:

1. Carry out the entire territory of the Soviet Union on Sunday, 17 March 1991, for the Soviet Union referendum on the preservation of the Soviet Union as a federation of equal republics.

2. Turn on the ballot for secret voting the following wording of the question put to referendum, and the answers of voting: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will fully guarantee the rights and freedoms of all nationalities." "Yes or no".

3. To determine the results of voting by the Union Soviet Socialist Republic as a whole, taking into account the results of voting for each country separately.

— Resolution of the USSR Supreme Soviet of 16 January 1991 № 1910-1

Results

Choice	Votes	%
For	113,512,812	77.8
Against	32,303,977	22.2
Invalid/blank votes	2,757,817	–
Total	148,574,606	100
Registered voters/turnout	185,647,355	80.0
Source: Nohlen & Stöver[15]

In participating republics

Later, 99,8% of Azerbaijanis voted for independence on 29 December 1991, and 94% of Turkmens on 26 October.

Republic	For		Against		Invalid votes	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Russian SFSR	56,860,783	73.00	21,030,753	27.00	1,809,633	79,701,169	105,643,364	75.44
Bashkiria	1,908,875	85.9	269,007	12.1	43,276	2,221,158	2,719,637	81.7
Buryatia	447,438	83.5	78,167	14.6	10,197	535,802	668,231	80.2
Dagestan	670,488	82.6	131,522	16.2	9,999	812,009	1,008,626	80.5
Kabardino-Balkaria	290,380	77.9	77,339	20.8	4,888	372,607	489,436	76.1
Kalmykia	148,462	87.8	17,833	10.5	2,829	169,124	204,301	82.8
Karelia	317,854	76.0	92,703	22.0	7,544	418,101	551,644	75.8
Komi	412,842	76.0	119,678	22.0	10,883	543,403	797,049	75.44
Mari	333,319	79.6	77,239	18.5	8,041	418,599	525,685	79.6
Mordovia	459,021	80.3	101,886	17.8	10,724	571,631	677,706	84.3
North Ossetia	331,823	90.2	32,786	8.9	3,249	367,858	428,307	85.9
Tatarstan	1,708,193	87.5	211,516	10.8	32,059	1,951,768	2,532,383	77.1
Tuva	126,598	91.4	9,404	6.8	2,494	138,496	171,731	80.6
Udmurtia	622,714	76.0	180,289	22.0	16,137	819,140	1,103,083	74.3
Checheno-Ingushetia	318,059	75.9	94,737	22.6	6,216	419,012	712,139	58.8
Chuvashia	616,387	82.4	113,249	15.1	18,784	748,420	900,913	81.3
Yakutia	415,712	76.7	116,798	21.6	9,483	541,993	688,679	78.7
Azerbaijan	2,709,246	94.12	169,225	5.88	25,326	2,903,797	3,866,659	75.10
Nakhchivan	31,328	87.3	3,620	10.1	918	35,866	174,364	20.6
Byelorussia	5,069,313	83.72	986,079	16.28	71,591	6,126,983	7,354,796	83.31
Kazakhstan	8,295,519	95.00	436,560	5.00	84,464	8,816,543	9,999,433	88.17
Kirghizia	2,057,971	95.98	86,246	4.02	30,377	2,174,593	2,341,646	92.87
Tajikistan	2,315,755	96.85	75,300	3.15	16,497	2,407,552	2,549,096	94.45
Turkmenia	1,766,584	98.26	31,203	1.74	6,531	1,804,310	1,846,310	97.66
Ukraine	22,110,899	71.48	8,820,089	28.52	583,256	31,514,244	37,732,178	83.52
Uzbekistan	9,196,848	94.73	511,373	5.27	108,112	9,816,333	10,287,938	95.42
Karakalpakstan	563,916	97.6	10,133	1.8	3,668	577,717	584,208	98.9
Source: Direct Democracy

In republics not participating in the Soviet referendums

An official referendum had been held in Estonia on 3 March 1991 on whether to restore the Estonian republic that had been occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. The result was 77.8% in favour of restoring the Estonian republic.[16] Latvia also held an official referendum on 3 March 1991, when the overwhelming majority voted to restore the independent Latvian republic. Lithuania had held a referendum on 9 February 1991, in which 93% of voters had approved independence.

And Georgia was to hold its own independence referendum two weeks later, and Armenia on 21 September. In both, 100% would for independence.

Consequently, in these republics pro-Soviet front-organisations organised voluntary referendums without official sanction.[17][18] Turnout of voting here was considerably less than 50% of the franchised voters of these countries, but this information was not included in the official statement of the Central Commission of the Referendum of USSR.[19]

Republic	For		Against		Invalid votes	Total votes	Registered voters (not equal to franchised voters)	Turnout (based on registered, not franchised voters)
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Armenia	2,541	72.46	966	27.54	42	3,549	4,923	72.09
Georgia[lower-alpha 1]	43,950	99.98	9	0.02	53	44,012	45,696	96.31
Abkhazia	164,231	98.5	1,566	0.9	747	166,544	318,317	52.3
Estonia	211,090	95.46	10,040	4.54	1,110	222,240	299,681	74.16
Latvia	415,147	95.84	18,015	4.16	3,621	436,783	670,828	65.11
Lithuania	496,050	99.13	4,355	0.87	970	436,783	582,262	86.11
Moldova	688,905	98.72	8,916	1.28	3,072	700,893	841,507	83.29
Source: Direct Democracy

Additional questions

In several of the republics, additional questions were added to the ballot. In Russia, an additional question was asked on whether an elective post of the president of Russia should be created. In Kirghizia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan the additional question was on the sovereignty of their republics as part of a new union.[2]

Kirghizia

In Kirghizia, voters were also asked "Do you agree that the Republic of Kirghizistan should be in the renewed Union as a sovereign republic with equal rights?" It was approved by 62.2% of voters, although turnout was lower at 81.7%, compared to 92.9% in the Union-wide referendum.[20]

Choice	Votes	%
For		62.2
Against		37.8
Invalid/blank votes		–
Total		100
Source: Nohlen et al.

Ukraine

Main article: 1991 Ukrainian sovereignty referendum

In Ukraine, voters were also asked "Do you agree that Ukraine should be part of a Union of Soviet sovereign states on the basis on the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine?"[21] The proposal was approved by 81.7% of voters.[21] Ukraine later held its own referendum on 1 December, in which 92% voted for independence.

Choice	Votes	%
For	25,224,687	81.7
Against	5,655,701	18.3
Invalid/blank votes	584,703	–
Total	31,465,091	100
Registered voters/turnout	37,689,767	83.5
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

At the same day a referendum in the Galician provinces Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Ternopil asked the three regions of the USSR about the creation of independent state of Ukraine.[22][23] 88% of the voters in this referendum supported Ukraine's independence.[24]

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, voters were also asked "Do you agree that Uzbekistan should remain part of a renewed Union (federation) as a sovereign republic with equal rights?" It was approved by 94.9% of voters, with a turnout of 95.5%.[1] On 29 December, 98% of Uzbeks would vote for full independence.

Choice	Votes	%
For	9,196,848	94.9
Against	511,373	5.1
Invalid/blank votes	108,112	1.1
Total	9,824,304	100
Source: Nohlen et al.

See also

• Union of Sovereign States
• Dissolution of the Soviet Union

Notes

1. Referendum was held only in Abkhazia and South Ossetia

References

1. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p492 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
2. Referendum of March 1991 Russian History Encyclopedia on Answers.com
3. Duffy-Toft, M (2003) The geography of ethnic violence: identity, interests, and the indivisibility of territory p98
4. (in Russian) Chronicle of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (1988-2008) Archived 2009-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
5. Historical Overview of the PMR (Transnistria, Transdniestr, Transdnestr, Pridnestrovie) Archived 2009-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
6. Understanding the Cold War: A Historian's Personal Reflections by Adam Bruno Ulam, Leopolis Press, 2000, ISBN 0-9679960-0-7 (page 353)
7. Russia and the World Economy: Problems of Integration by Alan H. Smith, Routledge, 1993, ISBN 0-415-08925-5 (page 1)
8. Referendum on the preservation of the USSR, RIA Novosti (2011)
9. Постановление СНД СССР от 24 декабря 1990 года № 1853-1 «О сохранении Союза ССР как обновлённой федерации равноправных суверенных республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1990. — № 52. — ст. 1158.
10. Любарев А. Е. Выборы в Москве: опыт двенадцати лет. 1989—2000. — М.: Стольный град, 2001. — 412 с. — ISBN 5-89910-019-2.
11. Съездом было принято два постановления о проведении референдумов по вопросу о частной собственности на землю
12. Постановление СНД СССР от 24 декабря 1990 года № 1856-1 «О проведении референдума СССР по вопросу о Союзе Советских Социалистических Республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1990. — № 52. — ст. 1161.
13. Закон СССР от 27 декабря 1990 года № 1869-1 «О всенародном голосовании (референдуме СССР)» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1991. — № 1. — ст. 10.
14. Постановление ВС СССР от 16 января 1991 года № 1910-1 «Об организации и мерах по обеспечению проведения референдума СССР по вопросу о сохранении Союза Советских Социалистических Республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. 1991. — № 4. — ст. 87.
15. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1647 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
16. "Chronology". 6 September 2012.
17. Об итогах референдума СССР, состоявшегося 17 марта 1991 года (Из сообщения Центральной комиссии референдума СССР) // Известия. — 1991. — 27 марта.
18. (in Russian) Воля, которую мы потеряли... "Время" № 5. 16 марта 2001 года
19. (in Russian)Сообщение Центральной комиссии референдума СССР об итогах референдума СССР, состоявшегося 17 марта 1991 года // Правда. — 1991. — 27 марта.
20. Nohlen et al., p443
21. Nohlen & Stöver, p1985
22. Dissolution: Sovereignty and the Breakup of the Soviet Union by Edward W. Walker, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003, ISBN 0742524523 (134)
23. The Ukrainian West: Culture and the Fate of Empire in Soviet Lviv by William Jay Risch, Harvard University Press, 2011, ISBN 0674050010, (page 4)
24. Cleft Countries: Regional Political Divisions and Cultures in Post-Soviet Ukraine and Moldova (Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society 33) by Ivan Katchanovski, 2006, ISBN 389821558X (page 40)

External links

• Quotations related to Soviet Union at Wikiquote