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The Falkland Islands government yesterday announced its intention to hold a referendum on the political status of the territory.Chairman of the Legislative Assembly,DeAngelo Williams Steelers Jersey UK, Gavin Short,Carnell Lake Steelers Jersey UK, said: “I have no doubt that the people of the Falklands wish for the Islands to remain a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. We certainly have no desire to be ruled by the Government in Buenos Aires,Ty Montgomery Packers Jersey UK, a fact that is immediately obvious to anyone who has visited the Islands and heard our views. But we are aware that not everyone is able to come to these beautiful Islands and to see this reality for themselves. And the Argentine Government deploys misleading rhetoric that wrongly implies that we have no strong views or even that we are being held hostage by the UK military. This is simply absurd.”“We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of the Falklands people in a clear,Eric Rowe Patriots Jersey UK, democratic and incontestable way. So we have decided, with the full support of the British Government, to hold a referendum on the Falkland Islands to eliminate any possible doubt about our wishes. This referendum will be organised by the Falkland Islands Government and will take place in the first half of 2013. We will invite independent, international observers to observe the process and verify its outcome. Exact timings,Joe Greene Steelers Jersey UK, the specific wording of the question, and other details will be announced in the coming weeks.”“We are holding this referendum not because we have any doubts about who we are and what future we want,Kevin Faulk Patriots Jersey UK, but to show the world just how very certain we are about that.”Welcoming the Falkland Islands Government’s announcement that it will hold a referendum on its political status,Steve Bartkowski Falcons Jersey UK, Foreign Secretary William Hague said:“The British Government has been consistent in its view that the future of the Falklands can only be determined by the people who live there. So the Prime Minister and I support this initiative to demonstrate – without doubt – the definitive view of the Falkland Islands people. In a region that rightly prizes democracy and human rights,Brian Poole Falcons Jersey UK, it is entirely appropriate that the Islanders can express this fundamental right. The principle of self-determination is a key part of the United Nations charter. The voice of the Falkland Islands people should be heard. I hope very much that Argentina,Aaron Rodgers Packers Jersey UK, and indeed the whole of the international community, joins the UK in listening carefully to what they have to say.” |
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