Voters in the French overseas departments of
Martinique and
French Guiana rejected proposals that would have given them more autonomy from France. Martinique, in the Caribbean, voted 78.9 percent against greater autonomy in a referendum yesterday and
Guiana, on the north coast of
South America, voted 69.8 percent against increased autonomy, the
Ministry of Overseas Collectivities said. Turnout was 55.35 percent in Martinique and 48.16 percent in Guiana. Local members of parliament and the regional governments had been pushing for a “yes” vote which would have given them more power over matters such as education and health.
“This choice shows the attachment of the inhabitants of Martinique and Guiana to a statute close to that of the mainland, and reaffirms the close links that unite them to the Republic,” President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement today.
Martinique, Guadeloupe and Guiana became departments in 1946, giving them to same status as the 96 departments of mainland France. The 100th department is Reunion in the Indian Ocean. Note EU-Digest: Being an integral part of France also makes these departments part of the EU with the Euro as their national currency.
For the complete report: French Overseas Departments Reject Autonomy in Referendum - Bloomberg.com
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