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Crimea getting ready for referendum

15 March 2014, 14:20 -- The destiny of Crimea is due to be determined on Sunday, March 16. A referendum is due to be held there on that day for Crimeans to decide if they want to remain part of Ukraine. However, if they vote that the Autonomous Republic be removed from the jurisdiction of Kiev, the next step for Crimea to make will be joining the Russian Federation.

The Crimeans will have to answer two questions during the referendum, namely if they want Crimea to be reunified with Russia as a territorial entity of the Russian Federation, or if they want the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Crimea to be restored and Crimea's status as part of Ukraine to be retained. Crimea's authorities say they are certain that no less than 80% of the peninsula voters will turn up at polling stations to cast their ballots, with an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voting in favour of joining Russia. The forecast is shared by the Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council, Andrei Kortunov.

'Given that tensions run high in Crimea, while the choice to be made is one of paramount importance, it is safe to expect a heavy turnout. Any results are hard to predict, but most sociologists believe that a majority of Crimeans will vote for joining Russia'.

All Ukrainian citizens who make their home in Crimea and are of age, as well as Russian nationals boasting residential permits are welcome to cast their ballots. Although the population of Crimea stands at 1 million 800,000, 2 million 200,000 ballot papers have been printed. The Crimeans had to turn up at polling stations in person on the eve of the ballot day to make sure that their names are included on the lists. The move has been prompted by the fact that Ukraine's Justice Ministry blocked the database comprising Crimea's voter register ahead of the referendum.

Crimea will therefore have to use the election lists for the 2012 election to the Supreme Rada, but the lists may have since grown obsolete, hence the need to check one's name personally.

Observers from 21 countries are due to monitor the voting. But OSCE monitors have refused to go to Crimea. But then, it is obvious, isn't it, that most world nations will refuse to recognize the referendum returns anyway, says Senior Fellow with the Institute of Russian History, Andrei Marchukov, and elaborates.

'We are aware that the United States and Western Europe, to say nothing of the current Kiev authorities, have said they will not recognize the referendum results and that they see the voting as illegal. It is safe to assume that they will similarly refuse to recognize the returns after the voting, but will have to eventually put up with the situation. But if Crimea joins Russia, they will keep insisting that Russia owns Crimea illegally'.

But since the inclusion of Crimea in the Russian Federation will create hurdles in Moscow's relations with the West, there is a theoretical chance that Moscow may abstain from making that move. Similarly, Serbia applied to the Union State of Russia and Belarus in the late 1990s, but the request was turned down. But now experts are certain that the probability that Crimea may not become part of Russia is equal to zero.

Source: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_15/ Crimea-getting-ready-for-referendum-3004/