The town council on Wednesday said it would take the case to the cantonal administrative court and possibly also the Swiss Supreme court at a later stage.
It’s expected to take about two years before the cantonal judges announce their verdict – putting on hold the fate of Moutier.
Last year, citizens voted to switch allegiance from mainly German-speaking canton Bern to French-speaking Jura. The vote saw an unusually high turnout of 88% that resulted in a decision to come under the umbrella of Jura.
However, the authorities were called in to investigate allegations of electoral tourism – claims that some people had registered themselves as eligible voters in Moutier without actually residing there.
The controversy is the latest twist in a long-running territorial dispute in Switzerland. French-speaking Jura became the 26th Swiss canton in 1979 when a separatist movement won a vote to secede from German-speaking canton Bern. Since then, the question has been raised in some towns and villages along the border about which canton they would like to be part of.
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Moutier vote judged an embarrassment for Swiss democracy
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“Shockwave”, “political earthquake”, “mess”: the Swiss newspapers react to the thwarted attempt by the town of Moutier to change cantons.
Justice minister calls for ‘crisis summit’ on disputed Moutier vote
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Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga has called for the governments of Bern and Jura to 'analyse' the dispute over a 2017 secession vote.
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A vote in Moutier, which last year saw the Swiss town switch allegiance from canton Bern to canton Jura, has been declared void.
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Jura says appeals are being handled too slowly after last year’s vote by the people of Moutier to leave canton Bern and join canton Jura.
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