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Most of those eligible to vote want to change canton. Then Moutier turns into Jurassic.
Change of municipality of the canton Moutier
Moutier: Change of canton from the municipality of Moutier to the canton of Jura
-
AND
2’114
be right -
NO
1’740
be right
- 54.9 percent of those who have the right to vote say yes to a change of canton.
- A clear majority would like to move from the canton of Bern to the canton of Jura.
- However, there is a pending complaint, so the court has not yet decided.
Legend:
Shouts of joy, firecrackers, chants in the Moutier station square.
Keystone
The applause at Moutier was great when the result was announced Sunday night. Several thousand people waved flags, cheered, hugged, and sang songs; thousands of Projurassiers expressed their joy.
The result was clear: 2,114 votes in favor, 1,740 against the change of canton. 374 votes made the difference, significantly more than in the first vote in 2017. Jean-Christophe Geiser, head of the federal observer, also spoke of a “very clear” result.
Vote on Sunday in Moutier
Decision of the heart
The arguments in favor of a yes or no to a change of canton remained the same as in 2017: separatists see better prospects in the canton of Jura, with which they also feel emotionally connected. Throughout the campaign, the Pro-Committee has been a reminder that a yes is a decision of the heart, synonymous with a better future and a new peace.
Those who oppose the canton change fear years of uncertainty due to the division of assets that would be necessary if Bern were to secede. However, the loyal camp reacted calmly to the defeat in the vote. Steve Léchot, spokesman for the Moutierplus test committee, regretted the result and congratulated the winners.
“We have lost!”
The winners of the vote should now involve all the residents of Moutier in this new future in the canton of Jura, Léchot said in a short speech to media representatives at the Forum de l’Arc convention center. This result means the end of the Jura question. Moutier said goodbye to his surroundings and would first have to create a place in the canton of Jura, the faithful of Bern said.
They expected that on Sunday those who really had the center of their lives in Moutier would vote, for which they had the right to vote. However, the clear result of the vote indicates this.
Legend:
Keystone
Thousands of people gathered in the station square in Moutier on Sunday afternoon. The defenders of the Jura eagerly awaited the result of the vote and then celebrated with enthusiasm. Many did not adhere to the corona measures, for example, they did not wear masks.
“The canton police are watching the situation,” says Christoph Gnägi of the Bern canton police in the early afternoon when asked by SRF. The police also discover that the protection measures are not being observed by everyone; there is no approval for the meeting, Gnägi said.
“In consultation with the community and representatives of political groups, we are trying to ensure that protection measures are better enforced,” Gnägi said.
Is evacuating the area a problem? Gnägi says no. “We do not want the old conflict to escalate,” says the police spokesman, referring to the history of the conflict. Keep observing the situation.
Electoral fraud in 2017
On June 18, 2017, the municipality of Moutier said yes to the change of canton with a narrow majority. However, there were irregularities – it was a bad residence, voting tourism and irregularities in the electoral roll – for which the vote was canceled.
Unprecedented effort
To avoid another debacle, the federal government made an unprecedented effort. He wanted to make sure that everyone involved respected the result.
Legend:
The fact that officials from the Federal Office of Justice carefully fill out and seal the nearly 4,500 voting envelopes is a first.
Sabine Gorgé / SRF
The electoral registry was also under special observation after allegations of electoral tourism were raised during the first vote. Several hundred people had to complete a questionnaire about the center of their life and their political residence in recent months.
The question of the law
The polls are intended to close a chapter that began in the early 1990s with the establishment of the Inter-American Assembly. In 1994, when it came to the question of the Jura, the population of Moutier decided to stay in the canton of Bern. Since then, a strong separatist minority has resisted it. Several times there were serious riots and street battles.
Legend:
Grenadiers from the Bern Canton Police use tear gas and a massive police presence against Jurassic separatists in Moutier on June 7, 1977.
Keystone
