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This article is part of a series on the politics and government of
Crimea
Autonomous Republic of Crimea (within Ukraine, 1991–present)
Constitution Presidential representative: Tamila Tasheva Verkhovna Rada (dissolved) Chairman (vacant) Council of Ministers Chairman: (vacant) Prosecutor Elections Parliamentary: 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Presidential: 1994 Referendums: 1991 1994 2014
Republic of Crimea (territory occupied by Russia 2014–present)
Constitution State Council Head: Sergey Aksyonov Prime Minister: Yury Gotsanyuk Recent elections Parliamentary: 2014 2019 Political parties
See also
Political status of Crimea Politics of Russia • Politics of Ukraine
Other countries
v t e

Part of a series on the
2014 annexation of Crimea
Main topics Timeline of the annexation International reactions to the annexation 2014 Crimean referendum Crimean problem Republic of Crimea
Background History of Crimea 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars 1954 transfer of Crimea 1991 Belavezha Accords 1994–95 President of Crimea 1994 Budapest Memorandum 1997 Russian - Ukrainian Friendship Treaty 1997 Partition Treaty 2006 anti-NATO protests in Feodosiya 2010 Kharkiv Pact 2013–14 Euromaidan Revolution of Dignity
v t e

A referendum on the status of Crimea is scheduled to be held on 16 March 2014 by the local government of Crimea as well as by the local government of Sevastopol; neighboring subdivisions of Ukraine located in the Crimean peninsula. The region is populated by Russian-speaking majorities but the demographics of Crimea has undergone dramatic changes, such as the deportation of Crimean Tatars, in the past 200 years.

The newly installed Ukrainian government, the leaders of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and several nations, however, have argued that any referendum held by the local government of Crimea without the express authority of Ukraine is unconstitutional and illegitimate; an authority that the local Crimean government currently lacks under Ukrainian law.

Background

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The Crimean Oblast was a subdivision of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic until the 1954 transfer of Crimea into the Ukrainian SSR. Crimea became part of independent Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, shortly after Crimea had re-gained its autonomy following a 1991 referendum. Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma abolished the Crimean Constitution and the office of President of Crimea in 1995 when separatist Yuriy Meshkov was banned from the country. Crimea gained a new constitution in 1998 that granted less autonomy; notably, any legislation passed by the Crimean parliament could be vetoed by the Ukrainian parliament.

In February 2014 polling found about 41% of Crimean people wanted Ukraine to unite with Russia. In 2013 only 35.9% of Crimean people shared the same opinion. 77% of Crimea's and 94% of Sebastopol's population are native speakers of Russian. Polls conducted by pro-Russian organizations indicate that the reunification with the Russian Federation is supported by 75% of the population. In the previous two Crimean referendums, conducted in early 1990-s, more than 90% of the population supported loosening ties with the Ukraine.

According to the 2001 Ukrainian population census 58.5% of the population of Crimea are ethnic Russians, 24.4% are ethnic Ukrainians and 12.1% are Crimean Tatars. All Tatars were deported from Crimea and many killed in May 1944 by Stalin's order. Only after 1991 were they able to return in greater numbers to Crimea.

Circumstances

Amidst tensions in the region due to the Ukrainian revolution—and as the newly installed government in Ukraine began to distance itself from Russia—unidentified pro-Russian troops, claimed by Russia to be local self-defense forces but believed to be Russian soldiers, took over Crimea on 24 February 2014. With gunmen controlling the Crimean parliament building, the Council voted to hold a referendum on the status of Crimea on 25 May 2014. Olha Sulnikova, head of information and analysis department of parliament, reported on the phone from inside the parliamentary building that 61 of the registered 64 deputies had voted for the referendum resolution and 55 for the resolution to dismiss the government.

Interfax-Ukraine reported that, "it is impossible to find out whether all the 64 members of the 100-member legislature who were registered as present, when the two decisions were voted on or whether someone else used the plastic voting cards of some of them" because due to the armed occupation of parliament it was unclear how many members of parliament were present.

Enver Abduraimov, member of the parliament presidium, said that he did not go inside when he saw that raiders who secured the building were confiscating all communications devices from deputies. Andriy Krysko, head of the Crimean branch of the Voters Committee of Ukraine, announced that no one from the parliament secretariat was in the building when voting took place.

Originally the referendum was to be about the status of Crimea within Ukraine and was initially set for 25 May 2014, but later pushed back to 30 March. The referendum was approved by the Supreme Council of Crimea on 27 February 2014 but the Central Election Commission of Ukraine denounced it by stating that the Crimean authorities do not possess the legal jurisdiction to conduct it. Regarding the referendum's initial purpose, the Daily Telegraph reported on 27 February 2014 that it, "appears to be for greater autonomy within Ukraine rather than for full independence."

On 4 March 2014 the district administration court of Kiev cancelled the decision of the council concerning the no confidence vote in the Council of Ministers of Crimea and the appointment of Sergey Aksyonov as a chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea and declared the organization and conduct of local referendum on improving the status and powers of autonomy as illegal. On 6 March 2014, the Supreme Council changed the option for the referendum from greater autonomy to ascension to the Russian Federation. This decision was made with 78 votes in favor and 8 abstentions. Later that day, acting President Turchynov announced "In accordance with power I am conferred on, I have stopped the decision of the Crimean parliament. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will initiate dissolution of the parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. We will defend the inviolability of the Ukrainian territory." On the same day the Crimean parliament voted to move the vote up to March 16. The parliament is surrounded and under control of unidentified armed forces. Members of the Supreme Council were denied access to the vote and have doubt about the validity of it.

There are reports of people confiscating identification documents before the voting day. Simferopol city administration confirmed these claims and declared it unlawful.

Several hundred residents of Crimea, mainly Crimean Tatars, have left Crimea for security reasons.

Options

There will be two options to choose from on the ballot with voters able to choose only one of them. The options, in synthesis, reflect the following stances:

Option 1: In favor of reuniting Crimea with Russia as a federal subject of the Russian Federation.

Option 2: In favor of restoring the 1992 Constitution of Crimea while maintaining the status of Crimea as being part of Ukraine.

The referendum will be decided by a simple majority with the option with the most votes declared winner. Although the ballot uses question marks to portray the options, answers will not be given in the yes or no format. Instead, voters will be able to mark only one option, with ballots casted for both options declared invalid and therefore removing any possibility of a tie between the two. The ballots will also lack an against all option with voters forced to choose either one option or the other. The referendum text does not allow voters to vote for the status quo. Media outlets have reported different translations for each option and labeled them as "questions" which has created some confusion and inconsistencies on the matter.

The Ukrainian city of Sevastopol, which is also located in the Crimean peninsula but administered separately from the Crimean republic, will also be included in the referendum process. However, on 6 March 2014, Sevastopol unilaterally declared itself a federal subject of the Russian Federation.

The ballot will be printed in three languages: Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar (with Cyrillic script).

Legal aspects

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It is unclear whether or not the referendum is legitimate. According to Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine, territorial changes can only be approved via a referendum where all the citizens of Ukraine are allowed to vote, including those that do not reside in Crimea. The Central Election Commission of Ukraine also stated that there are no judicial possibilities, according to the legislation of Ukraine, to initiate such changes. However, the International Court of Justice declared through its advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence that international law contains no prohibition on unilateral declarations of independence. Some scholars and politicians, like former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, claimed that the referendum, in contrast to Kosovo's, was under assault rifles and, thus, conducted through violence.

Monitors

It is still unknown if international observers will monitor the referendum. So far, military observers from OSCE have attempted to enter into Crimea three times but have been unable to, with witnesses traveling with the observers saying that warning shots were fired into the air the last time the observers attempted to enter. OSCE's attempts to enter Crimea come as the newly installed government in Ukraine invited the organization into its territory, but pro-Russian authorities in Crimea say that OSCE does not have permission to enter the region as military observers.

Several days later, the Russian-funded news agency RT News reported that Crimea invited OSCE election observers to monitor the referendum. However, later in the day, an OSCE spokeswoman said that Crimea didn't have the authority to invite the organization into the region as it is not a fully-flegded state and, therefore, incapable of requesting services provided exclusively to OSCE members.

Reactions

Domestic response

• - the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People has announced that "Crimean Tatars will not take part in the referendum and deem it illegitimate."
•  Ukraine - Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko alleged Russian coercion in allowing the referendum and that the international community should not allow it to happen.

International recognition

Countries which recognize the referendum

•  Russia - Chairman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, said that Russia will welcome Crimea to the Federation if the referendum passes. President Vladimir Putin has further solidified Russia's position on the matter, stating: "The steps taken by the legitimate leadership of Crimea are based on the norms of international law and aim to ensure the legal interests of the population of the peninsula."

Countries which do not recognize the referendum

•  Canada – Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the Canadian government will not recognise the result and that the region was under "illegal military occupation."
•  Germany – Chancellor Angela Merkel called the referendum "illegal and incompatible with Ukraine's constitution."
•  Turkey – Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has labeled the referendum as unhelpful in engendering a solution to the crisis.
•  Ukraine - the Ukrainian government has announced it will not recognise the referendum. Acting president Oleksandr Turchynov stated: "It is not a referendum, it is a farce, a fake and a crime against the state which is organised by the Russian Federation's military."
•  United States – President Barack Obama claimed that the referendum would violate Ukrainian sovereignty and international law.
•  United Kingdom - Prime Minister David Cameron has declared that any referendum vote in Crimea will be "illegal, illegitimate, and will not be recognized by the international community."

See also

• Transnistria
  • International recognition of Transnistria
• Territorial changes of the Baltic states

• Ukraine
• Russia
• 2010s
• Politics

Notes

1. AP (2014) "Crimea's parliament rammed through what amounted to a declaration of independence from Ukraine, announcing it would let the Crimean people, 60 percent of whom are ethnic Russian, decide in a March 16 referedum whether they want to become part of their gigantic neighbor to the east."
2. AP (2014) "The action in Crimea's parliament was essentially a declaration of independence from Ukraine."
3. Salem; Walker; Harding (2014) "With gunmen controlling the building, Crimea's parliament voted to hold a referendum on the region's status on 25 May, the same day Ukraine goes to the polls in presidential elections. It also voted to sack the region's cabinet."
4. Crimean Parliament (2014; in Russian) "Вопрос, получивший большинство голосов, считается выражающим прямое волеизъявление населения Крыма."

References

1. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Crimea MPs vote to join Russia". BBC News. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
2. http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/mejlis_to_boycott_crimean_referendum_318219
3. "Crimea To Vote To Split From Ukraine, Join Russia". Associated Press. 6 March 2014.
4. "Move for referendum on Crimea is denounced". Associated Press. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
5. ^ Sasse, Gwendolyn (3 March 2014). "Crimean autonomy: A viable alternative to war?". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
6. "Ukraine Moves To Oust Leader of Separatists". The New York Times. 19 March 1995. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
7. Динаміка ставлення населення України до Росії та населення Росії до України, яких відносин з Росією хотіли б українці (4 March 2014). Kiev International Institute of Sociology
8. http://www.kianews.com.ua/news/sovet-federacii-gotov-podderzhat-reshenie-kryma-o-vhozhdenii-v-rf
9. About number and composition population of AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC OF CRIMEA by data All-Ukrainian population census', Ukrainian Census (2001)
10. Salem, Harriet; Walker, Shaun; Harding, Luke (27 February 2014). "Conflict fears rise after pro-Russian gunmen seize Crimean parliament". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
11. "Ukraine Alleges Russian 'Invasion' of Crimea as Obama Warns of 'Costs'". CounterCurrents.org. 1 March 2014.
12. ^ "Number of Crimean deputies present at referendum resolution vote unclear". Interfax-Ukraine. 27 February 2014. Cite error: The named reference "IUCR27214" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
13. Sergei L. Loiko (1 March 2014). "New Crimea leaders move up referendum date". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 March 2014. KIEV, Ukraine -- Crimea's new pro-Moscow premier, Sergei Aksenov, moved the date of the peninsula's status referendum to March 30. On Thursday, the Crimean parliament, which appointed Aksenov, had called for a referendum on May 25, the date also set for the urgent presidential election in Ukraine.
14. "Crimea parliament announces referendum on Ukrainian region's future". RT. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
15. "TsVK says that it is not possible to conduct the Crimean referendum". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 27 February 2014.
16. Merat, Arron (27 February 2014). "Ukraine crisis: Ukraine searches for missing billions". Daily Telegraph.
17. The Court reversed the decision of the puppets of the Kremlin in the Crimea. Ukrayinska Pravda. 4 March 2014
18. Crimea Referendum Vote On Joining Russia Scheduled For March 16
19. "Turchynov stops referendum in Crimea". Kyivpost.com. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
20. http://www.rferl.org/content/interview-crimea-vote-ukraine-russia/25288146.html
21. http://qha.com.ua/kirim-vekilleri-rusya-ya-katilmak-icin-oy-kullandiklarini-bilmiyordu-131159tr.html
22. http://qha.com.ua/unknown-people-seize-passports-of-crimean-residents-130806en.html
23. http://dpsu.gov.ua/en/about/news/news_3533.htm
24. "Provisional regulations on republican (local) referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea" (PDF). Rada.crimea.ua. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
25. ^ "Crimean parliament votes to join Russia, hold referendum in 10 days on ratifying". RT. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
26. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Crimea parliament asks to join Russia". BBC. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
27. "Парламент Крыма принял постановление "О проведении общекрымского референдума"". Пресс-центр Верховного Совета АРК (Press center of the Supreme Council of ARC). 6 March 2014.
28. http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/two-choices-in-crimean-referendum-yes-and-yes-338745.html
29. "Севастополь принял решение о вхождении в состав РФ : Новости УНИАН". Unian.net. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
30. "Бюллетени всекрымского референдума напечатают на трех языках | Крымское информационное агентство" (in Russian). Kianews.com.ua. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
31. Закон України «Про всеукраїнський референдум»
32. ЦВК наголошує, що місцевий референдум в Криму неможливий — Українська правда (3 березня 2014)
33. Укрінформ: Тимошенко: Референдум про статус Криму під дулами автоматів є нелегітимним
34. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Shots fired as Crimea observers stopped". BBC News. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
35. "No warm welcome for OSCE in Crimea". Reuters. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
36. ^ "Crimea invites OSCE observers for referendum on joining Russia". Reuters. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
37. "Crimean Tatar Leader Tells People To Stay At Home, Avoid Confrontations". Rferl.org. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
38. http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2014/03/yulia-tymoshenko-kremlin-declared-war-20143715542330860.html
39. "As it happened: Pressure on Russia". BBC News. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
40. Dahlburg, John-Thor (10 March 2014). "Putin defends referendum on secession in Crimea". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
41. ^ DE CARBONNEL, ALISSA (6 March 2014). "Harper, world leaders reject proposed Crimean referendum". Globe and Mail.
42. "Ukraine to block Crimea's referendum decision Anadolu Agency". Aa.com.tr. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
43. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-26517583
44. http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/299231--uk-will-not-recognise-referendum-in-crimea

v t e Elections and referendums in Crimea
Parliamentary elections	1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2019 2024
Presidential elections	1994
Referendums	1991 1994 2014
See also Elections in Ukraine Referendums in Ukraine Elections in Russia

v t e Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity
21 November 2013 – 23 February 2014
Main topics	Timeline of the Euromaidan Domestic responses to the Euromaidan International reactions to the Euromaidan Casualties Heavenly Hundred Order of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes Damaged communist monuments
Main events	1 December 2013 riots Fall of the monument to Lenin in Kyiv 11 December 2013 assault Ukrainian–Russian action plan Anti-Maidan Vasylkiv terrorists case Anti-protest laws in Ukraine 2014 Odesa clashes 2014 Hrushevskoho Street riots 2014 RSA occupations Agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine Revolution of Dignity
Aftermath	2014 pro-Russian unrest Timeline Russian military intervention 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia Timeline War in Donbas timeline First Yatsenyuk government Lustration in Ukraine Decommunization in Ukraine
Elections	2014 Ukrainian presidential election 2014 Ukrainian local elections 2014 Kyiv local election 2014 Crimean status referendum 2014 Donbas status referendums 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election
Main places	Maidan Nezalezhnosti Mezhyhirya Khreshchatyk Lypky Bankova Street European Square Hrushevskoho Street Dynamo Stadium Kyiv City Council Trade Unions Building Ukrainian House Mariinskyi Park October Palace Kyiv Conservatory
European integration	Ukraine–European Union relations Eastern Partnership European Union Association Agreement European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement Constitution of Ukraine
Protest figures	Organizations Maidan People's Union Euromaidan Press Parliamentary opposition parties Batkivshchyna Svoboda UDAR Other parties Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists Democratic Alliance UNA–UNSO United Left and Peasants Civic organizations Automaidan Road Control Vidsich Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Militant groups Right Sector Spilna Sprava Lead figures Vitali Klitschko Arseniy Yatsenyuk Oleh Tyahnybok Petro Poroshenko Yuriy Lutsenko Oleksandr Turchynov Yulia Tymoshenko Andriy Parubiy Andriy Sadovyi Arsen Avakov Ruslana Tetiana Chornovol Dmytro Bulatov Dmytro Yarosh Refat Chubarov
Anti-protest figures	Organizations Second Azarov government Ministry of Internal Affairs Internal Troops of Ukraine Security Service of Ukraine Berkut Militsiya (Ukraine) Party of Regions Titushky Night Wolves Don Cossacks Antimaidan Lead figures Viktor Yanukovych Mykola Azarov Serhiy Arbuzov Vitaliy Zakharchenko Oleksandr Yefremov Andriy Klyuyev Hennadiy Kernes Mykhailo Dobkin Viktor Pshonka Olena Lukash Yuriy Boyko Leonid Kozhara Dmytro Tabachnyk Oleksandr Klymenko

• 2014 Crimean crisis
• 2014 in Ukraine
• 2014 referendums
• Future referendums
• Politics of Crimea
• Referendums in Ukraine