Summary
A constitutional referendum on an amendment dealing with public ownership of water supply was held in Uruguay on 31 October 2004 alongside simultaneous general election.
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Maintain the state monopoly of drinking water and sanitation services | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background edit
The proposed amendment to the constitution dealt with the issue of water supply and sanitation, including a statement that access to piped water and sanitation were fundamental human rights, and that
- The public service of sewerage and the public service of water supplying for the human consumption, will be served exclusively and directly by state legal persons.[1]
The amendment was supported by (victorious) presidential candidate Tabaré Vázquez and his Broad Front coalition. Friends of the Earth also supported the move, saying it "sets a key precedent for the protection of water worldwide, by enshrining these principles into the national constitution of one country by means of direct democracy."[2]
Results edit
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 1,440,006 | 64.60 |
| Against | 788,924 | 35.40 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 0 | – |
| Total | 2,228,930 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 2,486,994 | 89.62 |
| Source: Direct Democracy | ||
Aftermath edit
In May 2005, the government stated that contracts with private water companies would be honoured until their expiry.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Making water privatisation illegal: New laws in Netherlands and Uruguay Archived 2007-03-28 at the Wayback Machine PSIRU
- ^ Uruguay: Referendum Gives Resounding ‘No’ to the Privatisation of Water Archived 2007-04-11 at the Wayback Machine IPS, 1 November 2004
External links edit
- Politics Data Bank at the Social Sciences School - Universidad de la República (Uruguay)