UK: WALES: YES VOTE FOR PARTIAL AUTONOMY

(19 Sep 1997) English/Nat The people of Wales voted Yes for partial autonomy through an elected assembly on Thursday, but by the narrowest of margins - zero point six percent (0.6%). Voters spared Britain's pro-devolution Labour administration a humiliating rebuff, but left critics able to claim Prime Minister Tony Blair's victory was a hollow one. At Yes campaign headquarters in the Welsh capital, Cardiff, the waiting for the final result was almost too much to bear. Supporters of the "yes" campaign - who had braced themselves for defeat as results rolled in through the counting process - shrieked with relief when votes from Carmarthenshire were announced. The strongly nationalist district of Carmarthenshire was the last of 22 districts to send in its tally from Thursday vote, tipping the "yes" campaign to victory by a margin of fewer than 7,000 votes, representing a zero point six percent (0.6%) advantage. SOUNDBITE: (English) "It's absolutely amazing, I can't believe it. It's been like an emotional roller-coaster, up one minute, down the next. And nobody could believe it. A Hollywood scriptwriter couldn't have written it any better. It's just amazing." SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop SOUNDBITE: (English) "I left here thinking that we'd lost. I was watching it at home and I just burst out crying and I just had to come back. We are a nation once again. Thank God for that." SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop SOUNDBITE: (English) "I am overjoyed. It means everything for Wales. It means everything for the future of Wales, for everyone in Wales, and for Europe. It's just a fabulous result. And we so nearly, we'd thought we'd lost it. And today I was going around Carmarthen in the big Red Yes bus with someone singing songs in Welsh, English and French, and it was Carmarthen's vote that finally did it. I am just over the moon." SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop SOUNDBITE: (English) "I am so relieved. I'm so happy. A No vote would have been a disaster, an absolute disaster. But we can celebrate. I'm so happy." SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop The vote reflected divisions between the north, where the 20 percent of the population that speaks Welsh is concentrated, and the populous south, including Cardiff. In the south, few speak Welsh although it has equal legal status with English. The No campaign claimed it was an indecisive result and urged the government to rethink its stance of Welsh devolution. Leighton Andrews of the Yes camp said the campaign had been a successful, cross-party initiative. SOUNDBITE: (English) "This is a vote for Wales. It's a new dawn for Wales. It's a terrific achievement for everyone in this room. We've won this victory against some of the most negative campaigning ever seen in Wales. It's a brilliant result for everyone here." Q: "Didn't you cut it fine? A: "We cut it fine. I've found more phrases this evening to say it's going to be a long night than I ever dreamed I would have needed. But we got there. One of the Labour MPs that campaigned against us, against the Assembly, said one vote would be enough. As far as we are concerned this is enough Wales will have its Assembly." SUPER CAPTION: Leighton Andrews, Yes campaign leader SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: Nick Bourne, No campaign leader British Prime Minister Tony Blair was pleased with the result and thanked the Welsh, and Scottish people - who last week endorsed the devolution plan. In Scotland the vote on a separate parliament was more decisive than in Wales. Seventy-five percent of voters were in favour of devolution. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...