A constitutional referendum was held in
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
on 30 April 2008.
[, Tuvalu News, April 30, 2008] The referendum sought to
abolish the
monarchy of Tuvalu
The monarchy of Tuvalu is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Tuvalu. The current Tuvaluan monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the pe ...
and establish the country as a
republic
A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
. Had the referendum passed, the new president would have been indirectly elected by the
Parliament of Tuvalu
The Parliament of Tuvalu (called ''Fale i Fono'' in Tuvaluan language, Tuvaluan, or ''Palamene o Tuvalu'') is the unicameral parliament, unicameral national legislature of Tuvalu. The place at which the parliament sits is called the ''Vaiaku man ...
.
The referendum failed, with 679 votes in favour of establishing a republic and 1,260 votes to retain the monarchy.
"Tuvalu votes to maintain monarchy"
Radio Australia, 17 June 2008 As a consequence, Tuvalu remained a monarchy, and Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
remained head of state. Turnout for the referendum was low. Only 1,939 voters cast valid ballots, out of the approximately 9,000 voting-aged Tuvaluans. In comparison, 8,501 votes were cast in the 2006 parliamentary election.[ A previous referendum on becoming a republic in 1986 was also rejected.
]
Results
See also
*1999 Australian republic referendum
The Australian republic referendum held on 6 November 1999 was a two-question referendum to amend the Constitution of Australia. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic, under a bi-partisan appointment model where ...
* 2009 Vincentian constitutional referendum
References
2008 referendums
Constitutional referendum
Referendums in Tuvalu
Republicanism in Tuvalu
Law of Tuvalu
Constitutional referendums
Sovereignty referendums
Monarchy referendums
April 2008 in Oceania
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