Occitania Grand Unified Micronational membership popular consultation, 2018

**Occitania Grand Unified Micronational membership popular consultation, 2018**
4 March 2018
Should Occitania begin the process of leaving the Grand Unified Micronational?
	Votes	%
No	17	58.62%
Yes	12	41.38%
Abstain	1	3.33%
Total votes	30	100%
Turnout		96.67%

The Occitania Grand Unified Micronational membership popular consultation, 2018, also known as the Occitexit popular consultation, was taking place on 4 March 2018 in the Popular Union of Occitania to gauge support for the country either remaining a member of, or leaving, the Grand Unified Micronational under the provisions of the GUM Popular Consultation Act and the Federal Court order.

Context

The Popular Union of Occitania joined the GUM during the summer 2017, first as "Observer" then as "Full Member". Occitania participated in many Quorum, weekly meetings of members and apparently (version denied by the federal occitanian government), the UPO and the GUM had cordial relations.

Legislation and organization

In Occitania, the legal difference between a referendum and a popular consultation is that the referendum celebration must be justified by an article of the constitution or a previously voted law and its result must be applied in a mandatory manner while a popular consultation is legally free and its result is advisory.

It is the Federal Court of Babougrad (Occitanian Supreme Court) that issues the mandate for the execution of an election. For this mandate to be issued, the parliament must pass a law explicitly requesting it.

On 12 February 2018, the Vergadering has voted the GUM Popular Consultation Act who asks to the Federal Court of Babougrad to organize a popular consultation. Few hours later, the Federal Court of Babougrad has published the court order which establishes both the date of the popular consultation at the 4 March 2018 as well as the question: "Should Occitania begin the process of leaving the Grand Unified Micronational?", or in french: "L'Occitanie doit elle entamer le processus visant à quitter le GUM ?".

Campaign

Position of political parties

Position	Party
Yes		Melocoton ^[1]
Yes		Progressive
No		Fighting Poland
No		Istum

Yes

As a result of its legislative and government majority, the Melocoton Party issued a press release on behalf of the federal government affirming his opinion about this subject. The slogan of the MP campaign is Occitania, Yes. In the press release the arguments in favor of withdrawal are the great disappointment over the utility of the organization, the recent inactivity and occitanian marginalization in the GUM. On February 19, the "Yes Occitania" platform and the Melocoton Party shared a TV Advert.^[2]

The federal government proposes as a solution to redistribute diplomatic efforts towards GUM to the Occitanian Commonwealth.^[3]

The Progressive Independent Party, second largest occitanian political party, run by the president Juan Cisneros supports also the withdrawal.

Logo used in the Yes campaign

No

Jakub Baran, leader of the Fighting Poland party says that the "GUM is good for Occitania". Although in the Melocoton Party, Daniel Lee of Sezentrania believes the GUM is neither good nor bad for Occitania and unnecessary to leave.

Nicholas Randouler, the president of the Istum Party believes that GUM is vital for Occitania. Nicholas Randouler stated, "Leaving GUM would be leaving our allies, Occitania will be leaving the most influential micronational organization." Later Nicholas Randouler stated, "The aim of GUM is to help diplomatic relations between micronations, if Occitania leaves we will loose diplomatic relations." The Istum Party later released that they will be voting no.

Results

Federal Subject	Turnout	Yes	No	Abstain
Babougrad	100%	2	0	0
Dunsula	100%	0	1	0
Medoc	100%	1	2	0
Oslovia	100%	1	0	0
Palmola	100%	0	1	0
Sezentrania	100%	0	1	0
Shalom	100%	1	2	0
Soternes	100%	2	0	0
Tagtabazar	50%	1	0	1
Three Flowers	100%	4	10	0
TOTAL	96,67%	12	17	1