Russia Today: Crimean Gov't Votes to Join Russia, Referendum Pushed Up to March 16!

[reformist2]

Crimean parliament votes to join Russia, hold referendum in 10 days on ratifying

A referendum on the status of Crimea will be held March 16, the region’s deputy prime minister announced. Crimeans will be asked to decide if the autonomous republic stays part of Ukraine or joins Russia.

"The referendum will take place March 16," said the autonomous region’s First Deputy-Premier Rustam Temirgaliev, according to ITAR-TASS.

The new date is two weeks earlier than the one announced last week.

There will be two questions on the ballots.

“The first one: Are you in favor of Crimea becoming a constituent territory of the Russian Federation. The second one: Are you in favor of restoring Crimea’s 1992 constitution,” Temirgaliev said.

http://rt.com/news/crimea-referendum-status-ukraine-154/

[dipsydoodle]

1. Aside from the date being brought forward

the important alteration is "to join the Russian Federation" as opposed to "become autonomous / independent of Ukraine"

[reformist2]

2. This is big - the new Ukrainian gov't said just yesterday they want Crimea to stay part of Ukraine.

It's now time for the US to weigh in: Do they still support independence and democracy?

[Adrahil]

10. Do you think anything like a fair election can be help in Ukraine in 10 days?

Considering that Russian troops are surrounding Ukrainian loyalists?


That's nuts. And if this were happening under U.S. Influence, you and others here would quite rightly call bullshit.

[morningfog]

11. How should the US "weigh in" now? The US has been weighing in since the occupation

started.

[joshcryer]

3. If this is a no vote, what does Russia do?

Remove its forces or decide to occupy indefinitely?

[bigdarryl]

4. They probably already know how that vote is going to be with some polling

There are more Russians living there

[joshcryer]

5. Sure.

But they may in fact not vote for joining Russia as many of them self-identify as Crimean as opposed to Russian or even Ukrainian. Think splitting the vote three ways. If it's as little as 15% who identify as Crimean then the vote goes against Russia.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. I don't think there would be a referendum unless the result was predetermined.

I've heard that the first lesson they teach people in law school is don't ask a question you don't already know the answer to. I'm sure Putin already knows what the outcome of this "election" will be.

[reformist2]

6. I'm sure Russia will make sure the vote won't be nyet. :)

[joshcryer]

8. Fair enough. Occupy forces of masked armed men...

[Adrahil]

12. Yeah... it won't be a no vote.

You think Uncle Pootie would allow any vote he didn't already know the outcome of? A loss would mean total humiliation. No. The vote will be yes, overwhelmingly yes in fact. Heck, a considerable number of NO votes are surrounded by his troops.

[pampango]

13. That's a legitimate question but a Tatar opposition leader has called for a boycott.

"Tatar opposition leader Rifat Shubarov says Crimeans should boycott referendum on whether to join Russia as it has no base in law."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/ukraine-crisis-russia-crimea-eu-un-live

If some or most of the opposition boycotts the referendum that will remove any mystery from the outcome.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Crimean vice premier: "From today, Crimea is part of the Russian Federation"

Shaun Walker has just been at a press conference by Rustam Temirgaliev, the Crimean vice premier who first gave news of the imminent referendum on union with Russia, and it seems the Crimean government is taking an even tougher line than expected.

The 16 March referendum is being held, Temirgaliev said, purely to ratify the decision of the Crimean parliament to join the Russian Federation, and the parliament has appealed to Russia to assist with this. He said that Crimea was effectively Russian immediately:

From today, as Crimea is part of the Russian Federation the only legal forces here are troops of the Russian Federation, and any troops of the third country will be considered to be armed groups with all the associated consequences.

The assumption is, Shaun adds, that this is being done with the full approval, even encouragement, of Russia, though it remains to be seen in Putin might use this to show his supposed moderation by refusing to act as decisively as the Crimean MPs wish.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/ukraine-crisis-russia-crimea-eu-un-live#block-53185a0be4b0c8d9ae9a5585