The people of Scotland should be allowed to decide whether the independence referendum has multiple questions or is opened up to 16-year-olds, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.
Ms Sturgeon recalled a 23-year-old constitutional declaration - which the SNP did not sign - to insist that "civic Scotland" has the right to design its own referendum.
In a motion before Holyrood on Thursday, she called on the Scottish Parliament to affirm the principles of the Claim of Right for Scotland.
The document, drawn up by a cross-party steering group in 1988, stated: "We do hereby acknowledge the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs."
It was signed by all Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs, apart from Tam Dalyell.
The SNP did not sign the document as the Scottish Constitutional Convention, which followed on from the cross-party group, did not consider independence.
The Nationalists were criticised by opposition parties for reviving the Claim's principles in the independence debate.
However, Ms Sturgeon said: "There has never been a more important moment to recommit ourselves to that principle.
"The SNP always supported the sentiments of the Claim of Right. The SNP were actually involved in the initial work to draft the Claim of Right.
"The reason that the SNP weren't in the Constitutional Convention are well documented. But that is history.
"It's a rather childish argument to say, 'You didnae sign it then so we'll not sign it now'."
Ms Sturgeon said the SNP supported Labour's amendment to "assert the right of the Scottish people to make a clear, unambiguous and decisive choice on the future of Scotland".
She added: "We do so in good faith, and I do hope it's not some back door attempt by Labour to restrict the options of the Scottish people."
Ms Sturgeon said the perception that the UK Government is trying to "attach conditions" to the referendum "rides roughshod over the Claim of Right".
She said: "The Scottish Parliament, whenever it has been able to do so, has chosen to give the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds. Why should the Scottish Parliament be denied the right to extend the franchise for the referendum?"
She added: "And also, there is, whether the other parties in this chamber like it or not, a strong strand of opinion which wants the option of enhanced devolution to be placed before the people in the referendum."
Labour MSP Patricia Ferguson recalled the signing of the original Claim of Right, and the circumstances which led the SNP to abstain.
Quoting Strathclyde University academic Professor James Mitchell, she said: "The manner in which the SNP decided not to participate was bungled.
"Over the course of a weekend, party members found out that they were suddenly opposed to something that they thought they were supposed to be enthusiastic about."
Ms Ferguson then questioned why Labour should reaffirm its support for a declaration it signed 23 years ago.
She said: "The Labour Party are already signatories to the Claim of Right. We have no need to repeat it. We signed it in 1989, and we've never had reason to resile from it - unlike others."
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