2020 Bahía Alta independence referendum

Alta Bahían independence referendum
Do you want the province of Bahía Alta to attain full sovereignty from the Republic and become independent? (Spanish:¿Quiere que la provincia de Bahía Alta alcance la plena soberanía de la República y se independice?) (Ipópopó:Du aeui voms sra vruqemca uk Borío Arso su ossoem kirr kuqaraesmsae kruk sra Ravibrec omd bacuka emdavamdams?)
Location	Republic of Narsora
Date	25 June 2021
Results Votes % Yes 60,128 7001306700000000000♠30.67% No 135,944 7001693300000000000♠69.33% Valid votes 196,072 7001986400000000000♠98.64% Invalid or blank votes 2,700 7000136000000000000♠1.36% Total votes 198,772 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 261,135 7001761200000000000♠76.12%

An independence referendum was held in Bahía Alta province in the Republic of Narsora. The vote had originally been planned for 9 March 2016 as part of an agreement between the central government and a militant separatist group Adlátát Tarrán, but was postponed due to the unsafe conditions within the north of the province.

Authorities argued that due to a small number of militants whom had evaded capture, and the large number of explosive devices planted in the region by Adlátát Tarrán, that the safety of those citizens whom wished to vote could not be guaranteed. Both parties agreed to reschedule the vote to be held on an undetermined date after the northern areas of the province had been declared safe. On 8 December 2019, all of the province was declared safe, save for a 10.2 sq mi area on the northern tip of the island. On the 9th, local and federal authorities announced the vote would be held on 9 March 2020.

In March 2020, authorities announced that the referendum would be put on hold for an undetermined amount of time due to health concerns within both the province and the country as a whole. In January 2021, the federal government announced that the referendum would be held in June of this year. On 28 May 2021, it was announced that the referendum would officially be held on 25 June 2021.

The referendum was held on 25 June 2021, with the results to be announced on the following Monday. Voters in the province overwhelmingly voted to remain as part of the Republic of Narsora, with 69.33% voting against independence and only 30.67% for for independence. Though as per the peace agreement of 2016, the territory will be given a certain degree of autonomy. It will be allowed to maintain it's own legal system, police force and legislative branch, but all other duties and functions will still fall under the responsibility of the central Narsoran government. The territory's autonomy will be officially recognized in January 2022.    

Background

At the conclusion of Operation Endgame in October 2014, Adlátát Tarrán leaders agreed to an end to hostilities under the condition that an official independence referendum be held to allow citizens of the island to vote on weather to remain as a province of the republic or attain full sovereignty. The administration under then president Adelina Aylen initially refused to negotiate or accept anything less than unconditional surrender, but was persuaded otherwise after her defeat in the 2014 Narsoran general election.

Newly elected president Sandalio Joaquín Espina announced that the vote would take place on 9 March 2016, but in January 2016 sated that the vote would be postponed due to security concerns. Over four years later, on 9 December 2019, the government announced that the vote would finally be held on 9 March 2020. The referendum was then postponed for a later date in March 2020, due to nationwide health concerns. In March 2020, authorities announced that the referendum would be put on hold for an undetermined amount of time due to health concerns within both the province and the country as a whole. The referendum was finally held on 25 June 2021, with the results to be announced on the following Monday.