Estonia to Vote on Independence Despite Gorbachev’s Objections
GENEVA — Estonian Foreign Minister Lennart Meri today said the Baltic republic is going ahead with voting on independence despite objections from Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev.
He said Estonia and Lithuania will stage polls of their own before a nationwide Soviet vote March 17, which he dismissed as meaningless.
“The Soviet poll, held under the Union referendum law, will not solve the Baltic problem even if 100% of the people in our republics vote for secession from the Union,” Meri said.
Lithuania, Georgia and Armenia have already said they have no intention of taking part in the March 17 vote.
“It’s absolutely impossible to leave the Soviet Union under this law,” Meri said.
“The referendum in Estonia will be held on March 3 although we are aware we are on a collision course with the decisions taken yesterday by President Gorbachev,” he said.
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