1974 Comorian independence referendum
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An independence referendum was held in the
Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...
on 22 December 1974. The overall result was a strong "yes" vote, with 94.57% of voters voting for independence and almost all the "no" votes being cast in
Mayotte Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...
, where there was a majority for remaining under French control. In contrast, on
Mohéli Mohéli , also known as Mwali, is an autonomous island that forms part of the Union of the Comoros. It is the smallest of the three major islands in the country. It is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa and it is the smallest of ...
only five out of 6,059 votes were against independence. Voter turnout was 93.3%. Following the referendum, the country declared independence on 6 July 1975, with Mayotte remaining under French control.


Background

The Comoros had achieved autonomy in 1961, and public satisfaction with the new arrangement meant that the islands had not been part of the
decolonisation Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on independence m ...
that saw most of France's African territories become independent in the 1960s. However, public support for independence began to grow in the early 1970s, except in Mayotte, where support for retaining French sovereignty remained strong.Pierre Cyril Pahlavi (2003
The Comoros: "The Federation of the Quarrelsome Sultans"
Gateway
A treaty was signed on 15 January 1973, allowing for the islands to become independent within five years following a consultation with the residents. The French government approved the treaty on 2 October, opting for a single referendum for the whole colony rather than an island-by-island vote. The approach was criticised in Mayotte, where Marcel Henry, leader of the anti-independence Mahoré People's Movement, claimed Mayotte residents had a right to self-determination based on article 53 of the
French Constitution The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic , and it replaced the Constitution of the Fourth Republic of 1946 with the exception of the preamble per a Consti ...
, which states that secession cannot happen without the consent of voters. When the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
approved the treaty in November 1973, it made an amendment that required Mayotte to be given regional autonomy if independence were to be achieved. In November 1974 law 74–965 was passed, requiring the holding of a referendum in the Comoros within six months, but also allowing a six-month period following the results to decide on its reaction to them.


Results


Aftermath

Following the referendum, President
Ahmed Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah Abderemane ( ar, أحمد عبد الله عبد الرحمن, , 12 June 1919 – 26 November 1989) was a Comorian politician. He was a member of the French Senate from 1959 to 1973, and President of the Comoros from 25 Octobe ...
announced that the Comorian Chamber of Deputies would draw up a new constitution, and that independence would be declared in agreement with the French government. The result in Mayotte led the French government to try to convince their Comorian counterparts that a new constitution should allow the island autonomy from the rest of the country. However, Abdallah stated that he was against a federal state. He rejected a draft constitution on 11 April 1975 on the basis that it allowed for too much decentralisation. On 3 July 1975 the French National Assembly approved a new law on Comorian independence, with the second article stating that the new constitution should be approved individually by each island. If an island rejected the new constitution, a new one would have to be presented in three months. If any island rejected the second draft, they would not be subject to it. However, the Comorian government rejected the French law, with Abdallah's
Oudzima The Comorian Union for Progress ( Comorian: ''Udzima'', lit. ''Unity''; french: Union Comorienne pour le Progrès, UCP) is a political party in the Comoros. History In 1978, French mercenary Bob Denard staged a coup d'etat against the socialist ...
party declaring that "The Comoros people disapprove of interference by the French Parliament in the internal affairs of the future Comoros state, condemn all manoeuvres to balkanise the Comoros, and consequently reject the provisions of the act of 30 June 1975." On 6 July the Comorian Chamber of Deputies unilaterally declared independence of the entire Comoros archipelago. The French government recognised the independence of Grande Comore,
Anjouan Anjouan (; also known as Ndzuwani or Nzwani, and historically as Johanna or Hinzuan) is an autonomous high island in the Indian Ocean that forms part of the Union of the Comoros. Its chief town is Mutsamudu and, , its population is around 277,500. ...
and
Mohéli Mohéli , also known as Mwali, is an autonomous island that forms part of the Union of the Comoros. It is the smallest of the three major islands in the country. It is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa and it is the smallest of ...
on 31 December 1975, but did not mention Mayotte. A
referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
was subsequently held in Mayotte in February 1976 on remaining part of the Comoros, with the proposal rejected by over 99% of voters; the voter turnout was observed to be 83.34%, and the number of registered voters was increased to 21,671.Mayotte, 8 February 1976: Remaining in the Comoros
Direct Democracy


References

{{Mahoran elections 1974 referendums 1974 1974 1974 in the Comoros
Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...
December 1974 events in Africa