48% turnout on first day of two-day referendum

The citizens in four municipalities of northern Kosovo are voting on Tuesday and Wednesday in a referendum to accept or reject the authorities in Pristina. The referendum question reads, "Do you accept the institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo", and it will be answered by a majority Serb population which has since the 1999 war consistently rejected the authority of the government in Pristina, including the ethnic Albanian unilateral proclamation of independence made in early 2008. 48% turnout on first day of two-day referendum A commission set up to organize the plebiscit said that on the first day of voting, the turnout stood at 48 percent. No incidents were reported from the north during the day. Representative of the Referendum Commission Ljubomir Radovic stated that the citizens of Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan and Zubin Potok will be able to vote on Tuesday and Wednesday, while in Leposavic the referendum will be held only on Wednesday. Earlier on Monday, Radovic told Tanjug that 35,500 ballots have been printed, some in Albanian, which citizens would use on 82 polling stations in northern Kosovo to vote. The preliminary results will be made public late on February 15, while the final results would be released on February 19. Radovic also pointed out that representatives of UNMIK and OSCE had been invited to monitor the course of the referendum. He said that all polls were open in urban areas this morning and that the voting was taking place without problems, but that it was still unknown what the situation in some villages was, considering the weather, where snow and low temperatures cut off many places. Radovic said that for this reason the turnout will likely be lower than expected. Representatives of international community and the government in Pristina were against the holding of the referendum saying it would have no legal consequences. Officials in Belgrade were also agains, as they believe it will deteriorate the position of Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo. People vote in a polling station in northern Kosovo (Beta) B92 Beta Tanjug

48% turnout on first day of two-day referendum

A commission set up to organize the plebiscit said that on the first day of voting, the turnout stood at 48 percent.

No incidents were reported from the north during the day.

Representative of the Referendum Commission Ljubomir Radović stated that the citizens of Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvečan and Zubin Potok will be able to vote on Tuesday and Wednesday, while in Leposavić the referendum will be held only on Wednesday.

Earlier on Monday, Radović told Tanjug that 35,500 ballots have been printed, some in Albanian, which citizens would use on 82 polling stations in northern Kosovo to vote.

The preliminary results will be made public late on February 15, while the final results would be released on February 19.

Radović also pointed out that representatives of UNMIK and OSCE had been invited to monitor the course of the referendum.

He said that all polls were open in urban areas this morning and that the voting was taking place without problems, but that it was still unknown what the situation in some villages was, considering the weather, where snow and low temperatures cut off many places.

Radović said that for this reason the turnout will likely be lower than expected.

Representatives of international community and the government in Priština were against the holding of the referendum saying it would have no legal consequences. Officials in Belgrade were also agains, as they believe it will deteriorate the position of Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo.