United Kingdom: Scottish referendum voting officer promises no ‘carnage’ on polling day | The Guardian

The chief counting officer for the Scottish independence referendum has pledged to ensure that “everybody who wants to vote can vote”, as unprecedented numbers prepare to cast their ballots on Thursday. “There will be no barriers or impediments, and we want everyone’s vote to count,” Mary Pitcaithly told the Guardian, reiterating that she had “no concerns” about the conduct of the vote, after a Better Together source predicted “carnage” on polling day. She emphasised that anyone who was queuing when polling closes at 10pm would still be allowed to vote. The law was changed in Scotland in 2012, and in the rest of the UK a year later, after incidents at the last general election when some voters were denied the chance to cast their ballots despite being in line at the cut-off time. She added that careful planning for a very high turnout meant that she did not anticipate long waits to vote.

United Kingdom: Scots abroad miss out on independence vote | AFP

As with the big independence decision itself, the issue of whether Scottish citizens living outside their homeland should be allowed to vote on the country’s future is the source of fevered debate. An estimated 1.15 million Scots will be watching from the sidelines on Thursday when the country decides whether or not to break away from the United Kingdom — including many high-profile campaigners such as James Bond actor Sean Connery, a pro-independence champion. While many accept the terms of the referendum agreed by London and Edinburgh which only allows current residents of Scotland to vote, others are furious that they will have no say on Scotland’s future, with some declaring their exclusion illegal.

United Kingdom: Cameron Under Pressure as Scotland Vote Nears | New York Times

With opinion polls on Thursday’s Scottish independence vote too close to call, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain faces the risk this week of becoming the leader who presided over the breakup of the United Kingdom. And that is only one of his immediate problems. After the release on Saturday of a video showing the beheading by Islamic radicals of a British hostage, David Cawthorne Haines, Mr. Cameron led a meeting on Sunday of his emergency response committee, including his top military and security officials. Another British hostage, Alan Henning, has been named by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as the next to die. Mr. Henning, believed to be in his 40s, is an aid worker from Manchester who was kidnapped last December near Idlib, Syria, with other aid workers, some of whom were Muslim and were interrogated and released, according to Tam Hussein, a freelance journalist working with Channel 4 television.

United Kingdom: 97% of Scots sign up to vote in Scottish independence referendum | Daily Mail

Nearly 4.3million people have registered to vote in next week’s Scottish independence referendum – 97 per cent of those eligible. The referendum is set to be the biggest poll in Scotland’s history, with more people registered to vote than ever before. Registration figures were released today as a new opinion poll gave the ‘No’ campaign a slim lead, following a barrage of bad news for First Minister Alex Salmond. The latest poll suggested that 53 per cent of Scots opposed independence with 47 per cent in favour, excluding those who have yet to make up their minds. The total number of people who have registered for next Thursday’s referendum is 4,285,323, more than for any previous election or referendum in Scotland, according to the vote’s ‘chief counting officer’.

Editorials: Fiji Elections: For Once Race Is Not An Issue | Eurasia Review

Fiji Islands – where ethnic Indians comprise about 37 percent of its 840,000 population spread of 110 inhabited islands – is in election mode with catchy radio jingles, glossy banners and other paraphernalia of campaigning on display. The general election on Sep 17 is expected to bring an end to the eight-year-long military government in the South Pacific island nation. The radio jingles are to help people memorize numbers as the single ballot for the entire country will carry no names, only numbers to identify the candidates. Fiji, which has had three elected governments overthrown by armed men in as many decades, is holding an election after eight years with a new and distinctive voting system under a new constitution promulgated by the military regime headed by Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama. Race or ethnicity has been a pivotal aspect of the cultural, political and economic life in Fiji’s complex society. But race will not play a role in the election process this time. The new constitution has done away with race-based electoral rolls, race-based seat quotas and some special privileges of the indigenous Fijians. Under the new system, all Fiji citizens are now called “Fijians”, irrespective of their origin. Indigenous Fijians form 56 percent of Fiji’s population while people of Indian origin account for 37 percent. Political rivalry between the two groups led to two elected governments being overthrown by radical indigenous Fijians, irked over the loss of political power to what were perceived as Indian dominated governments. The 2006 coup was not racially motivated.

United Kingdom: Britain’s constitutional future The Unitedish Kingdom | The Economist

In a converted shop in Aberdeen—on Union Street, appropriately—telephone canvassers for the anti-independence campaign know their script. “Aye, they’ll give us more power even if we vote No,” Neil says down the line. His listener seems unconvinced. “But they will,” he counters, insistently. “After all, they don’t want another referendum in five years’ time.” “I think that persuaded her,” he says, replacing the receiver and annotating his list of voters. Since the establishment of a Scottish Parliament in 1999, powers over education, health and policing have been transferred to it from London. More will follow in 2016, including further freedom to vary income-tax rates. But polls show that Scottish voters want still more devolution. As the nationalists surge, the unionist parties have scrambled to offer it. On September 8th Gordon Brown, a former prime minister, outlined the most drastic plan yet. He proposed that almost all remaining areas of domestic policy, including taxation, should be devolved if Scots vote No. Even if Scottish voters reject independence on September 18th, then, Britain will not continue as before. The state will become looser and more untidy—with particular consequences for the one country so far untouched by devolution.

United Kingdom: Parliament recall likely if Scotland votes for independence | The Guardian

Government whips are understood to be preparing contingency plans to recall parliament if Scotland votes for independence next week, which would postpone the start of the Labour party conference. Downing Street strongly denied it is making any contingency plans but other well placed sources confirmed that whips have been determining the whereabouts of Conservative MPs on the weekend after next Thursday’s Scottish referendum vote. No 10 also said it has not made any plans for a reaction by the markets, but the Bank of England has already said it is “making contingency plans about contingency plans”. Labour is currently proceeding with its conference on the assumption of a no vote, and senior figures are still optimstic that the Scots will pull back from voting for separation.

United Kingdom: Scottish independence: Britain faces ‘constitutional crisis’ at next election | The Independent

Ministers are under pressure to explain how they would respond if Scots vote for independence, as it emerged that Labour is on course to win the general election only because of its strong support in Scotland. The latest “poll of polls” for The Independent suggests that Ed Miliband will win an overall majority of 32 next May. But if Scottish MPs are excluded, there would be a hung parliament, with Labour three seats short of a majority. “Scotland is potentially critical to Labour’s ability to win an overall majority,” said John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, who compiled the data. At present, Labour holds 41 of the 59 Scottish seats at Westminster and could land another five if the latest polls are reflected next May. Labour is on 35 per cent, the Conservatives 31 per cent, Ukip 13 per cent and the Liberal Democrats nine per cent.

United Kingdom: As Scotland vote looms, Britain could be on the verge of breakup | The Washington Post

The once-unthinkable prospect that Britain could be ripped apart this month with a vote for Scottish independence became bracingly real Monday after the campaign to keep the three-century-old union together was accused of panicking amid polls showing the referendum in a dead heat. Just 10 days before the vote, the new surveys depicted a dramatically tightening race after months in which the “no” side appeared to hold a comfortable lead. Although both sides have questioned the accuracy of the Internet-based polls, the pro-independence camp immediately claimed the momentum. Unionists, meanwhile, scrambled to agree on a plan for shifting power away from London and giving it to the Scottish government if the Scots choose to stay, with former prime minister Gordon Brown saying his Labor party would move aggressively to do just that. But it was unclear whether the other major parties agreed with Labor’s plan, and the unionists were forced to spend Monday fending off accusations that they were desperate to stop a slide toward “yes.”

United Kingdom: Scottish independence: Deadline looms for vote registration | BBC

Both independence referendum campaigns have urged people to register to vote if they have not already done so. Residents have until midnight on Tuesday to ensure they can take part. Voter registration in Scotland has already reached record levels, with more than 4.1 million people listed on the electoral roll. On 18 September, voters in Scotland will be asked to vote on the question: Should Scotland be an independent country? Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran MP said: “There are just 17 days to go until Scots vote in the independence referendum, and many people are already voting by post.

United Kingdom: Scottish independence: Referendum votes ‘for sale’ on eBay | BBC

Police have launched an investigation after a number of people apparently tried to sell their votes in the independence referendum online. Votes for the 18 September ballot were listed on internet auction site eBay, which has since removed the items. The Electoral Commission said both the selling and buying of votes was illegal. One online listing offered buyers a “unique piece of British history”. The Glasgow-based vendor wrote that he was selling his vote – with a starting price of 99p – because he did not “give a flying monkeys [sic] about any of this”. He went on: “This is my very own unique piece of British History!

Guam: Plebiscite appeal heard: 9th Circuit judges take on political status vote | Pacific Daily News

The Office of the Attorney General yesterday defended Guam’s Decolonization Registry against claims that it discriminates along racial lines. A panel of three judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit yesterday heard arguments in that case and two other cases during a special hearing at the U.S. District Court of Guam in Hagåtña. It was the first time since 2002 that a panel of judges from the appellate court heard arguments here. The court has jurisdiction over federal courts in nine states, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Among the cases judges heard yesterday was Davis v. Guam, which challenges the constitutionality of the Guam Decolonization Registry.

United Kingdom: Scotland’s Independence Vote Dominates Edinburgh Festival Fringe | NBC

The world’s largest arts festival attracts audiences and performers from around the globe each August, but the political future of the host nation is taking center stage this year. Dozens of performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe focus on a Sept. 18 referendum that will determine whether Scotland remains part of the United Kingdom or becomes independent for the first time in 307 years. An intense public battle to persuade voters means that writers, comedians and actors in Scotland’s capital have not had to search far for satirical inspiration. The Fringe’s reputation for political comedy and satire have meant that the prominent figures from both sides of the campaign have come under fire, often in the same show.

United Kingdom: Facebook adds ‘Registered to Vote’ option ahead of Scottish Referendum | Telegraph

People over 16 using Facebook in Scotland will be able to add a new ‘life event’ to their Timeline from today, announcing that they have registered and plan to vote in the Scottish Referendum next month. The “Registered to Vote” feature will lead to thousands of status updates being sent from people to their friends, creating increased awareness of the voter registration process, according to Facebook. With every person on Facebook having an average of 120 friends, the company claims the ‘life event’ posts will be seen by millions of people in Scotland. The new feature is part of a wider campaign that Facebook is conducting with the Electoral Commission to raise awareness of the need to register to vote. Scottish Facebook users who visit the social network site over the next few weeks will also see newsfeed posts promoting an interactive Referendum guide, being launched by The Commission today.

United Kingdom: Scotland to allow 16-year-olds to vote on independence | Macleans

Last September, Saffron Dickson, then 15 years old (now “16 and three-quarters”), attended a televised BBC debate in Glasgow on the subject of the upcoming Scottish referendum. Partway through the show, the host opened the floor to comments—and Dickson shot for the mike. Smiling saucily for the cameras, in bleached-blond hair and a dark leather jacket, she gave the people of Scotland an earful: “We don’t live in a country where we have equal rights,” she cried, raising a furious hand to the sky. “Westminster bakes the Empire Biscuit and we put the jelly tot on top. And we’re supposed to be completely ecstatic about having that little bit of power. But we won’t be silenced by your ideology!” Within weeks, Dickson had become “a wee bit” of a political celebrity in Scotland, which is now less than two months away from a historic referendum on independence from Britain. Today, Dickson is on the central board of Generation Yes, a large pro-independence youth movement, and a regular media fixture. Asked whether she hopes to run for office one day, she’s emphatic: “Yes!”

United Kingdom: As Scotland decides, not all Scots get a vote | Reuters

Ruth McPherson was born and educated in Scotland but left to work in London two years ago and so has no say on whether her native country should end three centuries of union with England. Over a million Scots like McPherson living outside the land of their birth can take no part in its Sept. 18 referendum on breaking from the rest of Britain, while one in six of those who can vote were not born in Scotland. That has fuelled a debate on just what it means to be Scottish in the 21st century. “It’s ridiculous,” said McPherson, 26. Born in Inverness and brought up in nearby Elgin in the north, she studied in the capital, Edinburgh, before following generations of compatriots south of the English border for a job in publishing. “I will be a Scottish citizen if the Yes vote goes through,” she said. “It seems ridiculous that you can be a Scottish citizen without being able to take part in this decision.”

United Kingdom: Referendum recount ruling | Herald Scotland

IT could be a nail-biting finish but election officials have warned there will not be a recount if the independence question is decided by just one or two votes. A close result will not be enough to trigger a repeat count, officials say. Only concerns about the integrity of the process in the 32 counting areas will be considered a sufficient reason. The warning comes from Mary Pitcaithly, the chief counting officer for the referendum. Both sides are hoping for a clear and definitive result on the morning of September 19. But historical parallels suggest that that may not happen.

United Kingdom: Yes or No? Scotland is teetering on a knife-edge | Telegraph

Don’t worry, Scotland is not going to vote for independence. That is what people opposed to the idea have tended to think until now. But the Yes campaign has gained ground lately, winning hearts and minds. How is it doing that? What will happen next? And will it be enough to deliver a victory that breaks up the union? Hope Street is a neat address for a campaign that was dismissed in the beginning as a lost cause, and it is where the people running Yes Scotland have their Glasgow headquarters. They are good at symbolism. The date of the referendum was chosen to take advantage of an anticipated swelling of national pride this summer, with the Commonwealth Games to follow the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, in which Robert the Bruce gave the English a kicking.

Italy: Arrivederci, Veneto? | openDemocracy

The independence referendum held in Veneto between the 16 and 21 of March adds to a growing list of struggles for territorial autonomy within established nation states and advanced democracies in Europe. As is well known, this year Scotland will go to the polls to decide whether it becomes an independent country. Crimea has also recently made the headlines for its sudden desire to secede from Ukraine and re-join Russia – a decision supported by a landslide victory in a recent, if contested, popular referendum. And yet, in many respects, the Veneto independence referendum cannot be directly compared to these cases. In the first place, the referendum was unconstitutional and defective. According to the Italian Constitution (Article 5) “the Italian Republic is one and indivisible” – which, put simply, means that no referendum could ever be lawfully called to question or change this principle.

Italy: Push in Sardinia for online vote on independence from Italy | RT

The island of Sardinia plans to hold an online referendum on independence from Italy, following in the footsteps of country’s northeastern Veneto region, where a similar vote revealed high separatist moods. Over 2 million people in Veneto took part in the internet referendum on March 16-21, with 89 per cent of them voting in favor of cutting ties with Rome. Despite the plebiscite having no legal power, it inspired the Sardinian Action Party (PSdAz) to organize an independence online vote in Sardinia, Nuova Sardegna website reports. PSdAz advocates withdrawal from Italy and the cultivation of Sardinian traditions and values.

Italy: Venice votes for independence in unofficial poll | EUobserver

A self-organised “referendum” over the independence of one of Italy’s wealthiest regions has resulted in an overwhelming victory for the separatist camp, but authorities in Rome have largely ignored the result, amid scepticism over the regularity of the informal, non-binding poll. Nevertheless, events in Veneto, the north-eastern region around Venice that is home to almost 5 million people, have attracted international attention, particularly from government-sponsored Russian media, keen to draw comparisons with the military-backed vote that sanctioned Moscow’s annexation of Crimea. Out of 3.8 million eligible voters, 2.3 million took part in Veneto’s independence “plebiscite,” organisers said Friday, after six days of voting through makeshift polling booths, via phone or the internet. The pro-secession camp was declared the winner with over 89 percent, against just under 11 percent for the unionists.

Russia: Putin TV Wants You to Think Italy Is a Bigger Story Than Crimea | The Daily Beast

Haven’t heard about the Veneto referendum to leave Italy? You’re not watching enough RT. Monday’s glorious Crimean exercise in democracy was not the only example of a European country devolving decision-making to the local level. The Italian region of Veneto also kicked off a referendum over the weekend that could see it separate from Italy. Presumably, you did not hear about this major shake-up in Italian politics, which has serious implications for the future of the European project, nay, the future of a united Europe itself. That’s because you’re likely a consumer of the hopelessly biased Western media, a mix of “corporatocracy” and state-run propaganda outlets like the BBC and France 24. They chose to ignore the Italian vote and focus all of their attention on the Crimean one, which, in a Russophobic fury, they have inaccurately portrayed as a sham election held under the watchful presence of a foreign military. This is the message you would have received if you bothered to watch RT, the multilingual global propaganda news channel funded by the Russian government. Because I am a glutton for punishment, I turned on the Internet livestream of RT America to learn how it was covering the Crimean referendum, which took place after Russia invaded the Ukrainian peninsula, violently installed a puppet as prime minister, and cracked down on the independent press. “Media coverage has been muted with the Crimean referendum getting center stage,” an RT anchor complained.

Spain: Catalonia votes to ask Spain for secession ballot | Associated Press

A European season of separatist fervor kicked off Thursday with Catalan lawmakers voting in favor of asking for the right to hold a referendum on independence from Spain. The European Union was watching closely as Belgium’s Dutch speakers gear up to push for greater autonomy in May elections, and Scotland prepares to hold its own referendum on breaking away from Britain in the fall. The vote was a milestone in years of mass protests by Catalans, who are fiercely proud of their distinct culture and language, demanding the right to decide whether they want to secede. As lawmakers debated at the Catalan parliament in Barcelona on Thursday before the vote, about 150 Catalans outside waved independence flags. A smaller group unfurled Spanish flags before the debate began, yelling “Catalonia is Spain!” But the vote was also largely symbolic.

Spain: Catalonia holds key vote in Spain secession drive | Associated Press

A European season of separatist fervor kicks off Thursday with Catalan lawmakers voting on whether to seek the right to hold a referendum on independence from Spain. The EU will be watching closely as Belgium’s Dutch speakers gear up to push for greater autonomy in May elections, and Scotland prepares to hold its own referendum on breaking away from Britain in the fall. Thursday’s vote is a milestone in years of mass protests by Catalans, who are fiercely proud of their distinct culture and language, demanding the right to decide whether they want to secede. But it is also largely a symbolic one.

United Kingdom: Scottish independence: Bid to give prisoners voting rights thrown out by MSPs | BBC

A bid by two MSPs to give prisoners the chance to vote in next year’s Scottish independence referendum has been thrown out by a committee of MSPs. The Lib Dems’ Alison McInnes and Green Party MSP Patrick Harvie argued it was wrong for all prisoners to be automatically disenfranchised. But their amendments to the Referendum Franchise Bill were defeated in the Referendum Bill Committee. Scots will take part in the referendum on 18 September 2014. The committee also agreed that 16 and 17-year-olds, who will receive the right to vote for the first time, would have until 10 March next year to sign up to the electoral register. The Scottish government has consistently opposed giving prisoners a say in the vote.

United Kingdom: Scottish Government ‘happy’ to accept Electoral Commission’s independence referendum question | The Courier

The Scottish Government has agreed to change the question it will put to voters in next year’s independence referendum, after concerns were raised its preferred version could be biased towards a yes vote. First Minister Alex Salmond had proposed to ask: “Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?” However, the independent elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, said using the phrase “Do you agree” was commonly felt “to be biased towards a yes outcome and potentially leading people towards a yes vote”. The Scottish Government has accepted the commission’s recommendation that the question should instead be: “Should Scotland be an independent country? Yes/No.”

United Kingdom: Independence Referendum: Electoral Commission call on David Cameron to show what a No vote would mean for Scotland | Daily Record

Election watchdogs have rocked the referendum debate by demanding David Cameron spell out what voting No would mean for Scotland. The Electoral Commission threw down the gauntlet yesterday to the Prime Minister on more powers for Holyrood. In their recommendations for how the historic vote should be run, they urged both the UK and Scottish Governments to outline their plans for the aftermath of the referendum. As revealed by the Record earlier this week, the experts rejected Alex Salmond’s preferred question for the crunch ballot. They said his wording – “Do you agree Scotland should be an independent country?” – would unfairly encourage people to vote Yes. Instead, they suggested a more neutral wording – “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

United Kingdom: Scottish independence: Electoral Commission finding due | BBC

The election watchdog is delivering its finding on the Scottish government’s independence referendum question. The Electoral Commission has spent the last few months assessing the SNP government’s preferred wording on the ballot paper in autumn 2014. It wants to ask voters the yes/no question: “Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?” Final approval of the referendum arrangements rests with the Scottish Parliament. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond previously described his government’s question as “short, straightforward and clear”, but critics say the wording is biased. There has been speculation the Electoral Commission may reword the ballot paper, inviting voters to record “I agree” or “I disagree” to a general statement about independence.