Manipulative Referendum on the Preservation of the USSR (March 1991)
Moscow's attempt to legitimize the preservation of a disintegrating empire. The all-Union ballot contained the question: "Do you consider necessary the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully guaranteed"[1]. The Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR added its own question – on Ukraine's membership in the Union "on the basis of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine"[2], which is what made the outcome ambiguous. The ambiguous wording was approved by the USSR Supreme Soviet in a resolution signed by its chairman Lukyanov[1].
Actors
Instruments Applied
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| S0008 | Government | 1 |
Procedures Carried Out
A referendum with a vague formulation to legitimize union control: the ballot of the 17 March 1991 referendum asked voters to endorse "the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics"[1] – even though the content of the "renewed federation" was nowhere defined, while the result was then used as a mandate for a new union treaty.