The Crimean referendum - a comparison with the Scottish referendum

by Foreign & Commonwealth Office

 

Foreign &
Commonwealth
Office

Is the referendum supported by all the parties involved?
✘The referendum in Crimea is against the Ukrainian Constitution and condemned by the Ukrainian Prime Minister and acting President.	✔The Scottish referendum is supported by the UK Government and the devolved Scottish Government.
Who will supervise the vote?
✘In Crimea, voters will vote whilst being watched by heavily armed soldiers from an invading army.	✔In Scotland, the vote will be supervised by the independent elections watchdog — The Electoral Commission.
The Crimean referendum — a comparison with the Scottish referendum
Has the referendum been planned properly?
✘In Crimea, the referendum has been organised in three weeks, during a time of significant national unrest, without the support of the democratically elected national government.	✔The Scottish referendum has been organised over two years with support from the UK Government.
Have both sides been able to make their case?
✘Not in Crimea — the Opposition media has been switched off.	✔In Scotland, both sides have engaged in a lively debate, played out across the free press.
Does the international community recognise the referendum as legal?
✘Absolutely not in Crimea. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and G7 have both been clear that this referendum would be illegal and illegitimate.	✔The Scottish referendum is internationally recognised and endorsed. Both the UK Government and the devolved Scottish Government have agreed to respect the outcome.