JUne 23, 2016 was a momentous day in the annals of the United Kingdom and, by extension, the rest of Europe. It was the day when 17 million Britons voted to leave the European Union (EU)as against the 16 million who voted to remain in the bloc. As unfortunate as it was for the European project, the decision was a triumph for the British people and for democracy. Their voice was heard, and crucially, without any violence.
The decision on the British Isles has resonated with some parts of continental Europe. Other members of the 28-country bloc are gearing up for their own referenda. Receiving the news of Brexit, France’s far-right and anti-immigration party, the National Front (FN), called for a French referendum on its European Union membership – or “Frexit.“ Hailing the UK vote on her Twitter page, party chief, Marine Le Pen, declared, “Victory for freedom! We need to hold the same referendum in France and [other] EU countries.”
Apparently following suit, the leader of the Dutch far-right and anti-immigration Party for Freedom (PVV), Geert Wilders, called for a plebiscite on the Netherlands’ membership in the union. If elected Prime Minister in the country’s next general election scheduled for March 2017, Mr. Wilders, who is currently topping opinion polls, promises to call a referendum on the subject.
Interestingly, Britain’s impending exit from the EU, a process that could last for two years, will almost certainly trigger a second referendum on independence in quick succession in Scotland, which, unlike provincial England and Wales, voted overwhelmingly to remain in the bloc. All of its 32 council areas rejected Brexit.
Referendums are powerful tools which citizens the world over, albeit in a democratic setting, utilize to chart their political course. Essentially, it is a hallmark of democracy, occupying the same latitude of importance as elections.
In Australia, approval in a referendum is imperative for an amendment to its constitution. In Switzerland, the closest the contemporary world comes to a pure form of democracy, referendums are a central feature of political life and are organized for the approval of almost every policy decision.
In 1993, Eritreans seceded from Ethiopia via a referendum. Québécois narrowly failed to secure their independence from Canada in 1995 when a referendum on the subject was narrowly defeated by 1.16% of the votes cast. The Catalans have been pushing to secede from Spain since the early 20th century, with the current regional leader, Carles Puigdemont, promising to call a binding referendum that will gauge his people’s appetite for it.
In civilized climes, referendums are not viewed as unspeakable evils, no matter how controversial they may be. The results, after all, are reflections of the wishes of the people and what is democracy without the wishes of the people? True democratic societies understand that the engine of democracy is lubricated with the will of the people. It must be respected. A government that fails to respect the wishes of the people it governs invariably instigates dissent and chaos and sets itself up for an unpalatable end and legacy.
The Biafra question is indeed a thorny issue in the Nigerian polity that can only be resolved in two ways: (1) dialogue that aims to address the grievances of the Biafran people or (2) a referendum that will help them chart the political and socioeconomic course they so desire. You cannot deny them both and expect them to sit still.
Brexit was a bitter pill Europe had to swallow in its quest for a grand united Europe. It will help them navigate back to the drawing board, take stock and reposition themselves for a more formidable future. The economic, political, social and psychological costs of effecting necessary adjustments and restructurings wouldn’t have been as grave had they hearkened to the voice of reason.
There is still time – though it’s fast running out – for Nigeria to hearken to this voice of reason. Unlike Europe, however, the circumstances surrounding the exit of the Biafra region may not afford it the opportunity to navigate back to the drawing board, take stock and reposition itself for a formidable future.
SUN
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