[IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/73610000/jpg/_73610430_021549187-1.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]Crimea is set to vote on whether to re-join Russia or stay with Ukraine - a referendum condemned as "illegal" by Kiev and the West but backed by Moscow.
Russian troops have taken de facto control of the majority ethnic-Russian region, and voters are expected to support leaving Ukraine.
Crimean Tatars are boycotting the vote, pledging their allegiance to Kiev.
Russia earlier vetoed a draft UN resolution criticising the vote - the only Security Council member to do so.
The US-drafted document was supported by 13 Council members. China, regarded as a Russian ally on the issue, abstained from the vote.
The US and EU have warned they would slap further tough sanctions against Russian officials if the referendum goes ahead.
Polling stations across Crimea are due to open at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) and close 12 hours later.
Voters are being asked whether they would like Crimea to rejoin Russia.
A second question asks whether Ukraine should return to its status under the 1992 constitution, which would give the region much greater autonomy.
Some 1.5m voters are eligible to cast their ballots, and the first results are expected to be released shortly after the referendum.
Ethnic Russians form a clear majority in the region (58.5%), and many of them are expected to vote for joining Russia.
Ahead of the vote, one woman - who was speaking on condition of anonymity - told the BBC: "We love (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and are for Russia.
"We are only for Russia. Why? Because we don't want fascists here," she added.
The woman was referring to the warnings by Mr Putin that "fascists" and "far-right radicals" took over in Kiev after months of protests against Mr Yanukovych. Ukraine denies the allegation as "blatant lies".
But there are also those who would like Crimea to stay part of Ukraine but with more local powers.
"In my opinion, Ukraine should have full autonomy so it can look after its own finances. There should be no pressure from the government. I favour independence," Serhiy Resehtnyk told the BBC.
The authorities in Kiev - backed by the EU and US - have condemned the vote as "illegitimate". They say a free vote is impossible under a "barrel of the gun".
The Ukrainian parliament has also voted to disband Crimea's regional assembly.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow would "respect the will of the people of Crimea".
Speaking after marathon talks in London with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr Lavrov admitted that both sides had "no common vision" on how to solve the crisis.
Mr Lavrov said that Russia had no plans to invade south-eastern Ukraine, despite a massive military build-up on the border with its neighbour.
The US and the EU have warned that the Crimean vote violates international law and the Ukrainian constitution.
The Crimean region was part of Russia until 1954.
Russia's Black Sea fleet is also still housed in Crimea. But Moscow has signed agreements promising to uphold Ukraine's territorial integrity.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26598832[/url]
Thread is misleading. The article talks about the vote to secede STARTING.
Not that the vote is all over and done.
It's ridiculous than a single country can veto a UN proposal
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;44250542]Thread is misleading. The article talks about the vote to secede STARTING.
Not that the vote is all over and done.[/QUOTE]
It starts in 3-4 hours. "Crimea votes on secession" is intended to convey that they're voting on weather or not they want to secede to Russia.
yea its like 5am there everyones asleep still
[editline]16th March 2014[/editline]
except the dudes out in the streets w/ guns they never sleep they [highlight]kill~[/highlight]
[QUOTE=download;44250543]It's ridiculous than a single country can veto a UN proposal[/QUOTE]
They don't call it the United Nothing for, well, nothing.
Results are in!
106% are for joining Russia!
[QUOTE=jordguitar;44250641]Results are in!
106% are for joining Russia![/QUOTE]
Based on what the Crimean assembly's information minister said ("There are no Ukrainian communities in Crimea") I would not be surprised one bit if this was true.
[quote]But Moscow has signed agreements promising to uphold Ukraine's territorial integrity.[/quote]
Oh yes, just look at all the territorial integrity upholding they're doing right now.
150% of citizens vote for merge! hail putin!
Get ready to color your maps a different color now
[QUOTE=katbug;44250780]150% of citizens vote for merge! hail putin![/QUOTE]
HOLY COW!
1 BAJILLION CABILLION VOTES FOR PUTIN!
HAIL TO THE NEW CZAR!
I am kinda uncertain on this.
If it turns out that a vast majority of the people of a region do honestly want to secede, then what's to say that's so bad?
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;44250816]HOLY COW!
1 BAJILLION CABILLION VOTES FOR PUTIN!
HAIL TO THE NEW CZAR![/QUOTE]
[i]Dmitry has shown upmost narodnost in attending the voting booth fifty times in his village in Crimea[/i]
What would happen if Putin, when going to meet the new Crimean head of office, slips on a patch of ice and hits his head and dies.
What would happen. What would the repercussions be.
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;44250833]What would happen if Putin, when going to meet the new Crimean head of office, slips on a patch of ice and hits his head and dies.
What would happen. What would the repercussions be.[/QUOTE]
Bladimir Butin is now president of Russia.
[QUOTE=Pvt. Martin;44250874]Bladimir Butin is now president of Russia.[/QUOTE]
"Nyet, tovarisch, I aem my Oreeginal (State Sanctioned) Character, Blutin!"
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;44250878]"Nyet, tovarisch, I aem my Oreeginal (State Sanctioned) Character, Blutin!"[/QUOTE]
Copyright violated. 5 bajillion years in gulag time out.
[sp]I'm sorry FP Russians.[/sp]
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;44250830]I am kinda uncertain on this.
If it turns out that a vast majority of the people of a region do honestly want to secede, then what's to say that's so bad?[/QUOTE]
Kinda hard to call it a free vote when you have foreign soldiers and paramilitaries silencing all opposition.
[QUOTE=download;44250543]It's ridiculous than a single country can veto a UN proposal[/QUOTE]
no it's not, otherwise russia and china wouldn't take the UN seriously. the UN is meant to prevent death/wars, not to be fair.
Yep, there's an invading army occupying the land in question and all the media and political outlets have been commandeered by radical nationalists with an agenda. This sounds like a real fair voting process.
Who wins? Russia or the west?
[QUOTE=laserguided;44251063]Who wins? Russia or the west?[/QUOTE]
no one
[QUOTE=laserguided;44251063]Who wins? Russia or the west?[/QUOTE]
150% Russian victory.
[QUOTE=jordguitar;44251076]no one[/QUOTE]
But they gained Crimea. The west apparently lost a drone.
[QUOTE=jordguitar;44251076]no one[/QUOTE]
or atleast the average person doesnt
[editline]16th March 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=laserguided;44251087]But they gained Crimea. The west apparently lost a drone.[/QUOTE]
not really a good way of measuring whos winning when everybody is losing
[QUOTE=laserguided;44251087]But they gained Crimea. The west apparently lost a drone.[/QUOTE]
The west gained the rest of the Ukraine though.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;44251100]The west gained the rest of the Ukraine though.[/QUOTE]
Even that seems to be at risk of Russian invasion right now.
This isn't a fair vote because the Russians who will vote to join Russia really shouldn't be there in the first place and the Ukrainians who would vote against it are either rural and unable to vote or being intimidated and unable to vote and besides that the polls will almost certainly be rigged in Russia's favor.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;44251100]The west gained the rest of the Ukraine though.[/QUOTE]
Not really, western Ukraine has always been more pro-west. Eastern Ukraine has always been more Russian.
[editline]15th March 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Grenadiac;44251105]This isn't a fair vote because the Russians who will vote to join Russia really shouldn't be there in the first place and the Ukrainians who would vote against it are either rural and unable to vote or being intimidated and unable to vote and besides that the polls will almost certainly be rigged in Russia's favor.[/QUOTE]
"shouldn't be there in the first place".
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.