Australia heads to Indigenous rights referendum

ANKARA

Millions of Australians are heading to vote on Saturday for a historic referendum to recognize the role of the country's Aboriginal minorities in the Constitution.

According to the Australia Electoral Commission, over 17.67 million Australians enrolled to vote in the referendum which is mandatory.

"The Australian Electoral Commission is urging all enrolled Australians who are yet to cast their vote in the 2023 referendum to do so," said the commission in a statement.

Over 7,000 polling stations have been established across the country where people will vote from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.

"Tomorrow, a little bit of kindness has the power to go a long way. There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain from a Yes vote," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on X.

Dubbed as "Voice to Parliament," if the vote passed, Indigenous Australians – whose ancestors have lived on the continent for at least 60,000 years – would get a constitutional right to advise the parliament on policies related to them, for the first time in nation's history.

Prime Minister Albanese campaigned for the referendum across several states to get public support for "Yes."

"Yes means a better future for Indigenous Australians. No means nothing changes," he said.

The draft Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 was passed on June 19, clearing the way for a vote to form an Indigenous body that would advise on legislation and policy affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The move has its share of supporters and critics across Australia’s political spectrum, leaving its future uncertain.

Who are Australia’s Indigenous people?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the “First Peoples of Australia,” known to have inhabited the continent for more than 65,000 years.

Aboriginal people mostly live on the Australian mainland and Tasmania, while the Torres Strait Islander people are settled on the islands of the Torres Strait, which lie between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The Torres Strait Islands are now part of the Australian state of Queensland. There are over 600 different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, and each group has its own unique culture, customs, and traditions.

Since the colonization of Australia by British settlers in 1788, the Indigenous people have faced immense hardships, ranging from the loss of traditional culture and homelands to the forced removal of children and denial of citizenship rights, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid