The Crimean referendum - a comparison with the Scottish referendum
Foreign &
Commonwealth
Office
Commonwealth
Office
| Is the referendum supported by all the parties involved? | |
| ✘The referendum in Crimea is against the Ukrainian Constitution and condemned by the Ukrainian Prime Minister and acting President. | ✔The Scottish referendum is supported by the UK Government and the devolved Scottish Government. |
| Who will supervise the vote? | |
| ✘In Crimea, voters will vote whilst being watched by heavily armed soldiers from an invading army. | ✔In Scotland, the vote will be supervised by the independent elections watchdog — The Electoral Commission. |
The Crimean referendum — a comparison with the Scottish referendum | |
| Has the referendum been planned properly? | |
| ✘In Crimea, the referendum has been organised in three weeks, during a time of significant national unrest, without the support of the democratically elected national government. | ✔The Scottish referendum has been organised over two years with support from the UK Government. |
| Have both sides been able to make their case? | |
| ✘Not in Crimea — the opposition media has been switched off. | ✔In Scotland, both sides have engaged in a lively debate, played out across the free press. |
| Does the international community recognise the referendum as legal? | |
| ✘Absolutely not in Crimea. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and G7 have both been clear that this referendum would be illegal and illegitimate. | ✔The Scottish referendum is internationally recognised and endorsed. Both the UK Government and the devolved Scottish Government have agreed to respect the outcome. |
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