Free Scotland Party Blast EU over Montenegro Referendum Policy

"Is Montenegro to be held prisoner by the EU?" asked Brian Nugent, spokesperson for the Free Scotland Party. He continued, "in the EU's own words Montenegro is part of 'manifestly dysfunctional confederation', the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro that the EU helped bring about in 2001-2002. Montenegrins are entitled to campaign for Independence on their own terms but the EU, having manufactured the problem, appears to be trying to influence the outcome of the forthcoming referendum."

"The formula proposed by EU goes against the basic democratic principle that each vote should have the same value. In most democracies a majority means 50% plus one vote of those who vote. The EU has imposed two hurdles in the way of Montenegrin Independence; a 55% majority must vote for Independence and 50% of the electorate must vote on May 21. Where is the democracy in these two hurdles? Why has the EU selected Montenegro to apply these tests to a democratic referendum when these tests do not apply in any election or referendum in the states that make up the EU? Why the double standards?"

"We were told that a one vote majority would be enough to take Britain into the Common Market in the 1975 referendum but it will take 55% in 2006 to take Montenegro out of the State Union. The worst possible scenario will be a majority for Independence but below the 55% mark, meaning the majority lose and the minority win. This stance runs contrary to the right of self-determination. Montenegro has been around as a self-conscious identity and nation for a thousand years, so if Montenegrins want to be independent again, why not?"

"The 50% of voters must vote is like a re-run of the 1979 Devolution referendum in Scotland and the Cunningham 40% amendment. The Cunningham amendment stated that at least 40% of those on the electoral register had to vote in favour for devolution to be accepted. This figure was almost impossible to get."

"The register was completed in October with the referendum held in March the following year. Electoral registers go out of date quickly. Voters move and do not register at their new home. Voters die. With the 40% rule, the dead and all those who abstained effectively became No voters in the Devolution referendum."

"Another anomaly is that students can be registered to vote in two places, their home address and their university address. If a student voted at one or the other and voted yes, that vote was cancelled out by not voting in the other area because of the Cunningham amendment. If they voted no, they had two no votes in effect.""Scotland voted in favour of devolution by 52% to 48% but the majority equated to 32.9% of the electorate so the majority were denied what they wanted and lost, the minority won."

"If as the EU says Montenegro has taken major steps to earn the right to make its own decision free of outside pressure, why has the EU applied it's own outside pressure to Montenegro with not one but two unusual voting stipulations?"

"It is almost as if there is a secret EU agenda to keep the State Union together. The EU are, at least tacitly, encouraging the anti-independence opposition, indirectly stimulating the opposition to boycott any referendum meaning the majority would not matter. What are the EU's motives? Are they trying to avoid another Balkan state that will demand EU aid and expect a separate seat at EU negotiations?"

"What right does the EU have to interfere in a country? What happens in a referendum in Montenegro may seem far away but in the event of any future Independence referendum in Scotland or Catalonia or the Basque country or wherever else in Europe, the EU may want to interfere there too. The EU is setting a precedent that should not become a template for Independence referendums. Democratic rules as applied elsewhere should apply to independence referendums."

"You have to admire the cheek of EU given that the EU is itself not democratic. What you can not admire is the blackmail used against the Montenegrin independence movement. The EU threatened to withhold international observers from the referendum if the 55% rule were not accepted. International observers give legitimacy to any election result if they find it fair."

"Miroslav Lajcak, the EU's envoy to the region said rather menacingly, 'I don't believe that the Montenegro government would choose to step into contradiction with the EU over this issue'. The EU's use of blackmail and threats shows how corrupt the whole organisation is and one best avoided in the future by an Independent Montenegro."

"Finally, Scot Sir Fitzroy Maclean who parachuted into German-occupied Montenegro in 1943 said of Montenegro 'If I were ever to be reborn, outside of Scotland, I would like to be born in Montenegro and to be protected in my direst hours by Montenegrins'. Along with that recommendation, the Free Scotland Party wishes Montenegro well in its quest to overcome the EU's hurdles and become Independent."

http://www.freescotlandparty.org/