(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Uruguay would like to hold a referendum to review an immunity law that protects police and army officers who committed crimes during the country’s dictatorship, according to a poll by Cifra. 50 per cent of respondents support holding a public vote on the so-called Expiry Law.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Uruguay would like to hold a referendum to review an immunity law that protects police and army officers who committed crimes during the country’s dictatorship, according to a poll by Cifra. 50 per cent of respondents support holding a public vote on the so-called Expiry Law.
If a referendum indeed takes place, 44 per cent of respondents would seek to annul the law, while 32 per cent would vote to keep it as it is.
Tabaré Vázquez—nominee for the Progressive Encounter – Broad Front (EP-FA)—won the October 2004 election with 50.45 per cent of the vote, becoming the first Uruguayan president to represent a political organization other than the National Party-Whites (PN-B) and the Red Party (PC). Vázquez officially took over in March 2005, and began his government with majorities in the Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of Senators.
During his campaign and in the early stages of his presidency, Vázquez vowed to come to terms with Uruguay’s period of military dictatorship, from 1973 to 1985.
The Expiry Law decreed in 1986—and ratified in a nationwide referendum three years later—establishes that members of the military and the police cannot be tried for human rights violations committed during the dictatorship.
Earlier this year, Uruguay’s national trade union—known as PIT-CNT—organized a campaign to collect 254,000 signatures and force a new referendum on the validity of the Expiry Law.
Uruguay will hold presidential and legislative elections on Oct. 25. On May 16, Luis Puig, the PIT-CNT leader, called for all candidates to publicly disclose their views on the Expiry Law, saying, "Every political leader must express what they think now. They must say whether they are willing to see justice being made; to see the end of impunity"
Polling Data
Would you support or oppose holding a referendum on the validity of the Expiry Law?
|
|
May 2009 |
Mar. 2009 |
|
Support |
50% |
50% |
|
Oppose |
31% |
25% |
|
Not sure |
19% |
25% |
If a referendum on the Expiry Law takes place, how would you vote?
|
|
May 2009 |
Mar. 2009 |
|
To annul the law |
44% |
42% |
|
Not to annul the law |
32% |
27% |
|
Not sure |
24% |
31% |
Source: Cifra
Methodology: Interviews with 1,003 Uruguayan adults, conducted between May 8 and May 11, 2009. Margin of error is 3.3 per cent.
