Preliminary results released late on Wednesday show that the turnout of the two-day referendum on acceptance of Kosovo institutions in four northern Kosovo municipalities totalled around 75 per cent and that the majority of votes were negative.

According to the summary preliminary results, the turnout at the referendum amounted to 75.28 per cent out of the total 35.500 voters.

According to a release issued by the referendum commission, the turnout in all four municipalities, that is, Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, added up to 26.725 voters.

A total of 26.524 citizens or 99.74 per cent of the electoral body voted against the Kosovo institutions.

The number of ballots in favour of the acceptance of Kosovo institutions totalled 0.26 per cent, while 134 ballots were declared invalid.

The highest turnout was recorded in the municipality of Zubin Potok, where 4.597 out of 5.186 voters, or 88.64 per cent, took to polls.

A total of 4.573 citizens, or 99.76 per cent of the electoral body, voted against Kosovo institutions, while 11 people or 0.24 per cent voted in favour of the acceptance of Kosovo institutions, with 0.28 per cent of invalid ballots.

The turnout in the municipality of Leposavic added up to 70.48 per cent of the 12.060 registered voters, that is, a total of 8.491 voters took to the polls.

A total of 99.67 citizens voted against Kosovo institutions.

In the municipality of Zvecan, with a total number of 8.081 registered voters, the turnout totalled 6.040 people or 74.74 per cent, of whom 6.007 or 99.87 per cent voted against Kosovo institutions and 0.13 per cent in favour of the acceptance of the institutions.

In Kosovska Mitrovica, a total of 7.521 citizens, or 99.03 per cent, voted negative as regards acceptance of Kosovo institutions, wile 0.29 per cent of the local electoral body voted in favour of the institutions, the referendum commission released.

The total number of registered voters in Kosovska Mitrovica adds up to 10.173, and the turnout totalled 7.595 citizens or 74.66 per cent.

During a news conference, members of the referendum commission Ljubomir Radovic, Ljiljana Ljumovic and Dalibor Milunovic stated that the turnout was rather high, just like in the case with the 2006 referendum on compliance with the Serbian Constitution.

The referendum was staged despite the opposition from official Belgrade and the international community, and the final results will be released on February 19.