EU Says Serbian Vote On Kosovo Contradictory

An ethnic Serb in Gracanica, Kosovo, passing posters urging Serbs to vote in the October 28-29 referendum (epa) October 30, 2006 -- The European Commission said today that Serbia's referendum on a new constitution declaring Kosovo an integral part of the country is contradictory because most of the breakaway province's residents were not on voting lists.

Kosovo's 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority was not invited to vote and ignored the referendum, saying it did not affect their demand for independence.

European Commission spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy welcomed provisional results showing a new charter had been adopted to replace a constitution dating from the era of former President Slobodan Milosevic.

She said the commission would give its assessment of the text in its next regular progress report on November 8.

But Nagy said Kosovo's future status is a separate matter, subject to a negotiating process being mediated by the United Nations.

(Reuters)