Kosovo Serbs say 'no' to ethnic Albanian rule Two-day referendum has no legal weight and has been dismissed by both Belgrade and Pristina

Reaction after nortern Kosovo Referendum


Al Jazeera

Two-day referendum has no legal weight and has been dismissed by both Belgrade and Pristina. Last Modified: 16 Feb 2012 00

Analysts say the referendum demonstrates that the Kosovan government does not control the whole of its territory [AFP]

Serb voters in northern Kosovo have rejected ethnic Albanian rule in a referendum, defying efforts by Serbia and the EU to resolve differences over the territory. "Out of those who voted, 99.74 per cent answered 'no' to the referendum question" if they accept Pristina institutions, Ljubomir Radovic, a spokesman of the referendum commission told reporters after all the votes were counted on Wednesday. In all four Serb-dominated municipalities in northern Kosovo, where 75 per cent of voters cast ballots out of the 35,500 eligible to vote, only "69 votes were marked 'yes'," Radovic said. However, the two-day referendum has no legal weight and has been dismissed by both Belgrade and Pristina as well as the international community. The vote was called as many Kosovo Serbs fear that Belgrade, which is hoping to win official EU candidate status in March, would eventually give up its claim to Kosovo. Neither Serbia nor local Serbs recognise the 2008 unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo.