Referendum or popular consultation

Eritrean independence referendum, 1993

Eritreans voted 23–25 April 1993 on whether Eritrea should become an independent sovereign state; the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative called the process free and fair.

The vote

Jurisdiction
Eritrea
Organising authority
Referendum Commission of the Provisional Government of Eritrea, verified by the United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea (UNOVER)
Legal character
Legally bindingBoth the Provisional Government of Eritrea and the Transitional Government of Ethiopia had registered their commitment in advance to respect the referendum's result.[1]
Geographical scope
Eritrea, with polling also at overseas locations including Ethiopia, the Sudan, Saudi Arabia and other countries
Who could vote
Eritrean citizens aged 18 or older, resident in Eritrea or abroad, verified against citizen identity cards.[2]
Question on the ballot
“Do you approve that Eritrea should become an independent sovereign State?”
Reported results[3][4][5][6][1]. Percentages: share of valid votes.
OptionVotesOfficial %Calculated %
Approve Eritrean independence 1,098,015 99.81% 99.83%
Reject Eritrean independence 1,825 0.17% 0.17%
Valid votes
1,099,840
Invalid votes
323
Blank votes
Not reported
Total ballots cast
1,154,001
Registered electorate
1,174,654
Turnout
98.24%official figure

The Secretary-General's report gives percentages of votes cast for and against independence (99.805% and 0.17%); these sum to slightly under 100% once invalid and tendered ballots are set aside. Valid votes here are calculated as yes plus no votes.

Assessments of the vote

A declared result and an assessment of the vote’s legal effect or legitimacy are different claims. Each is attributed.

  • UN Secretary-General's Special Representative (1993) · Observer assessment

    On the whole, the referendum process in Eritrea can be considered to have been free and fair at every stage, and that it has been conducted to my satisfaction.[6]

Limitations and competing accounts

UNOVER coverage of polling stations varied by region: 96% in the Asmara region, 88% in Keren and 84% in Mendefera.[7]

Immediate outcome

An overwhelming majority voted for independence; Eritrea declared independence on 24 May 1993 and was admitted to the United Nations four days later.[5][8]

What happened next

Eritrea declared independence on 24 May 1993. The Security Council recommended UN membership on 26 May and the General Assembly admitted Eritrea as its 182nd member on 28 May 1993.[9][8]

What happened

Under the Eritrean Referendum Proclamation of 7 April 1992, voters were asked a single question: "Do you approve that Eritrea should become an independent sovereign State?"[3] The United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea (UNOVER), established by General Assembly resolution 47/114, deployed over 100 international observers alongside independent observers from the Organization of African Unity, the European Community and the League of Arab States.[10][11]

Voting took place over three days, 23–25 April 1993. Of 1,174,654 registered voters, 1,154,001 took part, a turnout of 98.24%.[4] Of the votes cast, 1,098,015 (99.805%) were for independence and 1,825 (0.17%) against, with 323 invalid votes and 53,838 tendered ballots.[5] On 27 April 1993 the Secretary-General's Special Representative announced that "on the whole, the referendum process in Eritrea can be considered to have been free and fair at every stage."[6]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: Both the Transitional Government of Ethiopia and the Provisional Government of Eritrea registered their commitment in advance to respect the results of the referendum.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 7. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: Any person of Eritrean citizenship aged 18 or older, resident in Eritrea or abroad, holding a citizen identity card issued by the Department of Internal Affairs, was qualified to be a voter in the referendum.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 29. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: Under article 3 of the Eritrean Referendum Proclamation, the referendum put a single question to the electorate: "Do you approve that Eritrea should become an independent sovereign State?"

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 23. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: Of 1,174,654 registered voters, 1,154,001 participated in the referendum voting, a turnout of 98.24%.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 52. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: Of votes cast, 1,098,015 (99.805%) were for Eritrean independence and 1,825 (0.17%) against, with 323 invalid votes and 53,838 tendered ballots.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 53. Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: On 27 April 1993, on the basis of UNOVER's information and observations, the Secretary-General's Special Representative officially announced that "on the whole, the referendum process in Eritrea can be considered to have been free and fair at every stage, and that it has been conducted to my satisfaction." Attributed to UN Secretary-General's Special Representative (1993)

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 56. Source record
  7. 7.

    Claim: UNOVER teams visited 96% of polling stations in the Asmara region, 88% in the Keren region and 84% in the Mendefera region during the three days of voting.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 51. Source record
  8. 8.

    Claim: The UN General Assembly decided to admit Eritrea to membership in the United Nations at its 104th plenary meeting on 28 May 1993, following the Security Council's recommendation of 26 May 1993; Eritrea became its 182nd member state.

    • United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly resolution 47/230: Admission of Eritrea to membership in the United Nations (United Nations, 16 July 1993) link, operative paragraph and meeting note. Source record
    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 84. Source record
  9. 9.

    Claim: On 26 May 1993 the Security Council, having examined Eritrea's application for UN membership, recommended to the General Assembly that Eritrea be admitted.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 828 (1993) (United Nations, 26 May 1993) link, operative paragraph. Source record
  10. 10.

    Claim: The UN General Assembly authorised, by consensus, the establishment of the United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea (UNOVER) in resolution 47/114 of 16 December 1992, taking into account that both authorities directly concerned had requested UN involvement and registered their commitment to respect the results.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 1. Source record
  11. 11.

    Claim: Independent observers from the Organization of African Unity, the non-aligned countries, the European Community and the League of Arab States attended the referendum in addition to UNOVER; with UNOVER observers, international observers in Eritrea exceeded 300.

    • United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea: Report of the Secretary-General (United Nations General Assembly, 11 August 1993) link, para. 72. Source record

Source note

Show in the notes list