Second day of referendum in northern Kosovo

Source: Beta, Tanjug

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- The citizens are on Wednesda voting in the second day of a referendum called in the four predominantly Serb municipalities of northern Kosovo.

A billboard in Kosovoska Mitrovica urges a 'No' vote (Tanjug)

The voting is continuing for a second day in Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvečan and Zubin Potok, while in Leposavić, the referendum is held only today.
The question on the ballot is, "Do you accept the institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo?".

The polling stations will close at 19:00 CET. Some 35,000 citizens are eligible to vote in the four municipalities.

In the three towns that voted on Tuesday, the turnout was 48 percent. 82 polling stations are open today, according to Ljubo Radović of the local election committee in Zvečan.

The first, preliminary results are expected to be known during the night, while the official results will be announced on February 19.

The referendum, meant to make official the Serb rejection of the Kosovo Albanian authorities, has met with opposition from the international community in Kosovo and the government in Priština, who said the voting would have no legal consequences.

Officials in Belgrade are also against this plebiscite, saying that it would deteriorate the position of Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo.

President Boris Tadić on Tuesday said that the referendum organized by local authorities was "harmful when it comes to the state's interests".