2009 Mahoran status referendum
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A referendum on becoming an overseas department of France was held in Mayotte on 29 March 2009. Mayotte had been a departmental collectivity of France since 2001. In contrast to the four other similar regions (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion), 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]
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]
Background
The population of Mayotte was approximately 186,000 at the time of the election.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised a referendum on Mayotte's future status during the 2007 French presidential election.[3]
Many Maorais 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.[3]
Support
All of Mayotte's major
The campaign also received strong support from the French government in Paris.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 Quran 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.[3][4] The estimated voter turnout was a high 61% of eligible Maorais.[3]
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 Yes
|
41,160 | 95.24 |
| No | 2,055 | 4.76 |
| Valid votes | 43,215 | 98.59 |
| Invalid or blank votes | 616 | 1.41 |
| Total votes | 43,831 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 71,420 | 61.37 |
| Source: Direct Democracy | ||
Reactions
The move was opposed by the African Union and the Comoros, who both claim it is "occupation by a foreign power" and several protests were held in Moroni, capital of Comoros.[5][6] The Comoran vice-president said the vote was a "declaration of war".[7]
Referendum implications
With a yes result, Mayotte, which had been an overseas collectivity, became a French department on 31 March 2011.
Local judicial, economic and social laws and customs were changed to conform with
The traditional Mayotte local court system, which combined Quranic principles of
As a department, Mayotte became eligible for expanded French social and economic programs, as well as
Income taxes were increased as a result of integration with the French republic.[3]
References
- ^ Départementalisation de Mayotte : début d'une campagne d'explication Archived 2 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, La Gazette, 9 January 2009 (in French)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Bauer, Christophe (29 March 2009). "Mayotte votes for full French integration". France 24. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- ^ Mayotte : 95.2% de "oui" au final, Le Figaro, 29 March 2009 (in French)
- ^ Mayotte to hold referendum on whether to become France's 101st département, Telegraph, 27 March 2009
- ^ Comorans demonstrate against French referendum for Mayotte, Afrique en ligne, 28 March 2009
- ^ Mayotte backs French connection, BBC News, 29 March 2009
- ^ Mayotte vote en faveur de la départementalisation, Le Monde, 29 March 2009 (in French)
External links
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| French parliamentary elections | |
| Comorian elections | |
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