Montenegro strikes out on its own

Montenegro ended nearly a century of formal ties to Serbia yesterday after its people voted for independence in a referendum that closed the final chapter in the story of Yugoslavia.

The world's newest independent state has a population of just 650,000, with a rugged coast and even more rugged mountains in a territory about the size of Northern Ireland. Tourism is its planned ticket to prosperity as it strikes out on its own.

"I am convinced Montenegro could be the next country from this region to join the European Union, after Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, which are further along the process," said Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, the architect of the independence drive for the past 10 years.

Serbia reluctantly conceded that its little cousin on the Adriatic had opted to split, and the EU quickly gave a seal of approval to a separation it had once tried to prevent, fearing further instability in Europe's most turbulent corner.

Announcing the first official results, Montenegro's referendum commission said 55.4 per cent of Sunday's referendum votes were in favour of independence, clearing the EU-required target of 55 per cent for recognition. Turnout was 86.3 per cent.

The pro-union camp put no complaints forward initially, then asked for a recount and a thorough check of voters' lists. It was not clear whether the election commission and international observers would consider their late request.

The Serbian government has not commented officially, saying it wants to see the full results first.

But Montenegrins had already drunk the champagne.

Early projections on Sunday evening were a little exaggerated but set off a riot of celebrations, in the capital Podgorica, filling the streets with ecstatic independence supporters waving flags, igniting fireworks and firing automatic guns in true Balkan tradition.

Neither Serbia nor Montenegro has divulged its plans for the day after the referendum, so there is as yet no clear idea of how the practical matter of separation will be sorted out. But Mr Djukanovic said he had a plan ready to present to Belgrade.

Fears of unrest proved unfounded. The night was calm even in ethnic Serb areas that massively supported the union, although the pro-union camp complained that pollsters had jumped the gun with their early unofficial projections of the winning result.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who forged the union in 2003 in a bid to prevent further fragmentation, welcomed the "successful" referendum, saying the EU would respect it.

"It seems that the process was orderly and we have to congratulate everybody for that," he said, adding that the exceptional turnout confirmed the referendum's legitimacy.