republic’s claims over the breakaway Kosovo province, where Serbian Orthodox Christians have complained of attacks against their churches and monasteries.
The Belgrade-based Center for Free Elections and Democracy said just over half of Serbian voters approved the new constitution, which declares Kosovo "an integral part of Serbia." Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica had warned of what he called "unforeseeable consequences" if the vote failed.
The referendum raised eyebrows among international mediators because negotiations on the future status of the volatile province are still underway. Kosovo has been under United Nations control since 1999 after NATO bombardments forced Serb troops to end a crackdown on independence seeking ethnic Albanians.
Although the roughly two million Albanians in Kosovo form a majority, they were not invited to cast ballots in Sunday’s referendum. But ethnic Albanian leaders say the outcome of the vote will have no impact on their efforts to break away from Serbia.
UNDERSTANDING CRITICISM
The government in Belgrade says it doesn’t understand the criticism. It claims the proposed constitution, which is backed by major parties and the Orthodox Church, consolidates democracy and the rule of law in the Balkan country.
The Serbian leadership also hopes the document will help to restart stalled membership talks with the European Union. Serbian President Boris Tadic says the constitution will mean the end of an era under late leader Slobodan Milosevic, who died in prison this year at the UN Tribunal, where he was tried for alleged war crimes.
"A new constitution, this is very important for us, especially regarding the last constitution. We are trying to make some break from the Milosevic period and this is from our point of view very, very important, " he told reporters after casting his ballot in central Belgrade. "At the same time we [are creating] better protection for all national minorities," he added.
MINORITY SUPPORT
That view is apparently shared by leaders of several ethnic minorities, including a Muslim-led party, ethnic Hungarians and a Jewish organization, who all support the new constitution.
However critics say the new constitution is more about nationalism and Serbian statehood than democracy itself. Opponents already gathered in Belgrade to sign their own "Charter of Freedom," which calls for the creation of “a modern Serbia based on civic freedoms."
About six and a half million people were entitled to vote in the national referendum. It was unclear what would be the immediate impact of the vote on Kosovo’s tiny Serb minority, which has come under attack by Albanian militants.
Serbian Orthodox churches have been attacked across the province in recent years despite the presence of the NATO-led peacekeeping force, K-FOR. (This BosNewsLife story alsoairs on Voiceof America (VOA)).
