Serbs reject Kosovo rule

More than 99 percent of Serb voters in northern Kosovo rejected the authority of the government in Pristina after a 2-day referendum ended on Wednesday.

"Out of those who voted, 99.74 percent answered 'no' to the referendum question" if they accept Pristina institutions, Ljubomir Radovic, a spokesman of the referendum commission announced after all the votes were counted.

In all four Serb-dominated municipalities in northern Kosovo, where 75 percent of voters cast ballots out of the 35,500 eligible to vote, only "69 votes were with marked 'yes'," Radovic added.

Although the referendum was purely symbolic and carried no legal weight, it was in clear defiance of EU-sponsored talks between Belgrade and Pristina aimed at reconciling differences over the territory.

Neither Serbia nor local Serbs recognize the independence of Kosovo, which was declared in 2008, and still regard it as a Serbian province.

"After the referendum, it will be crystal clear to ethnic Albanians, the international community and politicians from Belgrade that it is not (just) local politicians who do not want the Kosovo institutions, but that it is the wish of the whole Serb community living in the north," Krstimir Pantic, mayor of the Serb part of ethnically divided flashpoint Kosovska Mitrovica, told news agency AFP.

The vote was organized despite opposition from Serbia, which is hoping to be recognized as an EU membership candidate in December. Many Serbs fear Belgrade will eventually be pushed to give up its claim to Kosovo.

While insisting Belgrade would never accept Kosovo's independence, Serbian President Boris Tadic dismissed the vote saying it was "harming the interests of the state." The results were also rejected by Pristina and most of international community.

ccp/ai (AFP, dpa)