"An absolutely phenomenal result": Just THREE Falkland Islanders vote against staying as UK territory
The referendum was held to send a strong message to Argentina, which has long claimed sovereignty of the islands
The people of the Falkland Islands have voted overwhelmingly to remain an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, with 98.8% declaring themselves in favour.
A total of 1,513 votes were cast in the referendum, a turnout of 92% of the islanders eligible to vote.
Just three votes, or 0.2% of the ballot, were against the referendum, which asked: "Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?"
There was of course never any doubt about how this decision would pan out Argentina has stuffed up the Falklands situation fairly much completely since day one. I actually thing that the sincerity of successive Argentine governments over the sacred Maldives ( Falklands ) is laughable.
The referendum was held to send a strong message to Argentina, which has long claimed sovereignty of the islands.
One that you can be sure the government of Argentina won't get.
The British Government established The Falkland Islands Development Corporation now run by the the Islanders. It in no small way has ensured the prosperity of the Falklands something that is only set to grow as the discovery of oil in the water of the Islands.
Dick Sawle, a member of the Legislative Assembly, the Falkland Islands government who was at the count in Port Stanley, called the result "absolutely fantastic".
"A 92% turnout is a phenomenal turnout for any form of election, but to get a 99% result on the Yes, with only three votes saying No, I think is an absolutely phenomenal result which will send out the strongest possible message to the rest of the world about our right to self-determination, a right which was fought for in 1982 and which we've honoured tonight," he told the BBC.
The crazy thing is that had the war not happened I suspect that a political accommodation would have been reached between the UK and Argentina that has however passed by for probably at least another 50 years. The British unlike most colonial nations have always been prepared to bow to the inevitable. Argentina altered that inevitability and some incredibly stupid stunts in the post war period have only further heightened not only British but in fact the worlds antipathy towards the Argentine case. Can any one remember the President of Argentina making a total cock out of himself in the run up to the the Crown Colony of Hong Kong being handed over to China ?
"What it means is that the people here have expressed their will, their wishes, it means they have expressed their opinion on what they want for the political status of the Falkland Islands.
"And that of course means that our right to self-determination has been enshrined for the future, it means that at any time in the future we can exercise that right to change the status quo if we wish to do so.
Words aimed very clearly at Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the " we " being operative.
"But people here have very, very clearly said they wish to remain as a British Overseas Territory with those rights, the British government is 100% behind us and it will be our job now as a government to get that message out to the rest of the world and every country that will listen to us."
Following the referendum result Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "I welcome today's result, which demonstrates more clearly than ever the Falkland Islanders' wish to remain an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.
"We have always been clear that we believe in the rights of the Falklands people to determine their own futures and to decide on the path they wish to take. It is only right that, in the 21st century, these rights are respected.
"All countries should accept the results of this referendum and support the Falkland Islanders as they continue to develop their home and their economy.
"I wish them every success in doing so."
And so it goes for this decade at any rate.
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