The Falkland Islands government announced Tuesday that the British territory will hold a referendum on its political status. The vote is intended to affirm islanders' desire to remain a self-governing territory of the United Kingdom and to reject claims of ownership by nearby Argentina. The Argentine government in recent months has stepped up its rhetoric over the Falklands, saying that the U.K. is exploiting the resources of the islands it calls Las Malvinas. The British defeated Argentina in a 1982 war over the territory. "We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of the Falklands people in a clear, democratic and incontestable way," said Gavin Short, chairman of the Falklands legislative assembly. "So we have decided, with the full support of the British government, to hold a referendum on the Falkland Islands to eliminate any possible doubt about our wishes."
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The Falkland Islands will hold a referendum on its governance
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The vote has the backing of the British government
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Argentina also claims the British-held islands
Short accused the Argentine government of misleading rhetoric that implies that there is local support for @placeholder rule.