Letter: Electoral turnout

Congratulations to the people of South Sudan on voting 99 per cent for independence (your report, 31 January). Now, if hurdles are overcome, they can look forward to being a normal country soon.

The day after the 1979 referendum on Scottish devolution, when a majority of those voting voted "yes" but the number did not reach the required 40 per cent of the electorate, I was in a lift in Liverpool with an African student.

He said: "That was amazing. In any normal country that would have been 90 per cent 'yes'." I could only agree with him.

Fortunately, we voted for devolution in a later referendum, though still not achieving the South Sudan level of turnout or approval. I still hope Scotland achieves normality within my lifetime.

David Stevenson

Blacket Place

Edinburgh