Voting underway in Australia for Indigenous rights referendum

ANKARA

Polling for a historic referendum Saturday to recognize the role of Aboriginal minorities in the Constitution is underway in Australia.

Millions of Australians head to the polls which open at 8 a.m. local time until 6 p.m.

"Australians have the chance to make history today," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on X. "Voting Yes today will: Recognise Indigenous Australians in our Constitution. And set up a committee to give advice. It’s a straightforward idea to make a practical difference.”

The Australia Electoral Commission said more than 17.67 million Australians enrolled to vote in the mandatory referendum.

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

More than 7,000 polling stations have been established for voting.

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

The draft Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 was passed 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 more than 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