Abkhazian New Union Treaty referendum, 1991

A referendum on the New Union Treaty was held in the Abkhaz ASSR on 17 March 1991, as part of the wider Soviet referendum. The treaty was approved by 98.6% of voters.

Background

The treaty would have reorganised the Soviet Union into a less centralised state. However, it was largely boycotted by the Georgian population in Abkhazia, whilst in the Georgian SSR no referendum was held.

Results

Choice	Votes	%
For	164,231	99.06
Against	1,566	0.94
Invalid/blank votes	747	–
Total	166,544	100
Registered voters/turnout	318,317	52.32
Source: RRC

Aftermath

The Union Treaty was approved in the republics where referendums were held, but its coming into effect was prevented by the August 1991 coup attempt and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December.

The fact that voters in Abkhazia approved the new union treaty while the Georgian SSR declared its independence on 9 April has been used by Abkhazia as an argument that Georgia became de jure independent from the Soviet Union without Abkhazia, which was then free to choose its own future.