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| Crimeans vote on Russia referendum | Crimeans vote on Russia referendum |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine — Crimeans turned out in large numbers for a vote that will determine their future Sunday after a hasty and one-sided campaign that featured intimidation and heavy-handed tactics blocked most voters from hearing a vision for any alternative other than unification with Russia. | |
| The peninsula’s two main cities, Simferopol and Sevastopol, looked as if annexation had already been decided and accomplished, with Russian flags flying from government buildings, storefronts, trollies and public squares. | The peninsula’s two main cities, Simferopol and Sevastopol, looked as if annexation had already been decided and accomplished, with Russian flags flying from government buildings, storefronts, trollies and public squares. |
| Public opinion polls suggested the results would be overwhelmingly in favor of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia. Many opponents of the move will not be voting, however. Crimean Tatar leaders have urged their people to boycott, and many ethnic Ukrainians say they will stay away, too. | |
| Just after 1 p.m., election officials in Simferopol announced unusually high voter turnout of more than 42 percent across Crimea by noon, with some of the 1,200 polling stations reporting as high as 54 percent “This has never happened before in any other election” in Crimea, said the senior election official, Mikhail Malyshev, at a news conference. Polls will close at 8 p.m. | |
| In the center of Sevastopol, people began gathering in the city’s main square anticipating that by day’s end they will be one step closer to Russia — what many here call “going home.” | |
| Young men walked around wrapped in the Russian flag, as if it were a shawl around their shoulders. Children carried balloons in the shades of the Russian flag’s red, white and blue. A large banner was hung from a building in Nakhimov Square declaring, “Russia is where we are.” Speakers atop light poles loudly played a recording of a song whose lyrics include, “Moscow, the bells are ringing. Moscow, golden domes.” | Young men walked around wrapped in the Russian flag, as if it were a shawl around their shoulders. Children carried balloons in the shades of the Russian flag’s red, white and blue. A large banner was hung from a building in Nakhimov Square declaring, “Russia is where we are.” Speakers atop light poles loudly played a recording of a song whose lyrics include, “Moscow, the bells are ringing. Moscow, golden domes.” |
| Among the first to vote at School 3 in an elegant neighborhood in Sevastopol were Alla and Adolf Malerov, two pensioners who have been married for 52 years. Both said they voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. | Among the first to vote at School 3 in an elegant neighborhood in Sevastopol were Alla and Adolf Malerov, two pensioners who have been married for 52 years. Both said they voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. |
| “We are so tired of all the reforms,” said Adolph Malerov, 76, a retired miner who said he was alarmed at the violence of the protests in Kiev and the presence of ultra nationalists in the Ukrainian government who he considers “fascists.” | “We are so tired of all the reforms,” said Adolph Malerov, 76, a retired miner who said he was alarmed at the violence of the protests in Kiev and the presence of ultra nationalists in the Ukrainian government who he considers “fascists.” |
| “We want stability and prosperity,” he said. | “We want stability and prosperity,” he said. |
| Russian military presence | |
| As voting was about to commence, Russia’s military presence on the peninsula increased dramatically. A Ukrainian Defense Ministry official said about 50 military trucks carrying diesel generators were observed late Saturday on the road to Sevastopol. About 100 armored vehicles and trucks were seen heading toward a military airport near Dzhankoi in north of Crimea, said Vladislav Seleznyov, a spokesman. | |
| Acting Ukrainian Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh said Sunday that Russia had sharply elevated its troop presence in Crimea in recent days, bringing the total to 22,000. Tenyukh told Interfax news agency that under basing agreements, Russia is limited to 12,500 troops in Crimea. | |
| “Unfortunately, in a very short period of time, this 12,500 has grown to 22,000. This is a crude violation of the bilateral agreements and is proof that Russia has unlawfully brought its troops onto the territory of Crimea,” Tenyukh said. | “Unfortunately, in a very short period of time, this 12,500 has grown to 22,000. This is a crude violation of the bilateral agreements and is proof that Russia has unlawfully brought its troops onto the territory of Crimea,” Tenyukh said. |
| The United States and most Western countries have said they will not recognize the results of the referendum, citing the Russian military occupation and the crisis conditions under which the vote was called. | The United States and most Western countries have said they will not recognize the results of the referendum, citing the Russian military occupation and the crisis conditions under which the vote was called. |
| But Russia has been adamant that the vote should go ahead. | But Russia has been adamant that the vote should go ahead. |
| In a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, Lavrov insisted that the referendum was legitimate and that “the results should be the starting point in determining the future of the peninsula,” according to a statement issued Sunday by the Russian Foreign Ministry. | |
| The statement also called on Ukrainian authorities to “curb the rampant violence by ultra-nationalist and radical groups terrorizing the dissident, Russian-speaking population, our compatriots.” | The statement also called on Ukrainian authorities to “curb the rampant violence by ultra-nationalist and radical groups terrorizing the dissident, Russian-speaking population, our compatriots.” |
| The Russian Foreign Ministry later said that Kerry and Lavrov had agree to continue working toward a solution to the crisis in Ukraine through “an earliest possible launch of constitutional reform.” The statement did not elaborate. | |
| Russia has suggested that it may have to intervene in eastern Ukraine to halt violence between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian demonstrators, which it blames on right-wing Ukrainians. Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of provoking conflict in order to justify an intervention. | Russia has suggested that it may have to intervene in eastern Ukraine to halt violence between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian demonstrators, which it blames on right-wing Ukrainians. Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of provoking conflict in order to justify an intervention. |
| The Crimean vote occurred a day after Russian forces seized a natural gas facility just outside Crimean territory. The Crimean Foreign Ministry called the move “a military invasion by Russia.” | |
| ‘Crimea should be Russian’ | |
| As Sunday morning wore on and a driving rain drenched Sevastopol, a steady stream of voters made their way to almost 200 polling places in the city and in neighboring villages. At School 3, a television in the hallway showed video of Sevastopol monuments to the Crimean War, interspersed with jerking, black and white photos of soldiers doing battle for the Soviet Army in World War II. A poll worker turned up the volume so the hallways filled with stirring, almost martial music. | As Sunday morning wore on and a driving rain drenched Sevastopol, a steady stream of voters made their way to almost 200 polling places in the city and in neighboring villages. At School 3, a television in the hallway showed video of Sevastopol monuments to the Crimean War, interspersed with jerking, black and white photos of soldiers doing battle for the Soviet Army in World War II. A poll worker turned up the volume so the hallways filled with stirring, almost martial music. |
| Tatyana Borodina, 44, said she considered this the most special vote she has ever cast. She said she felt in a festive mood. | Tatyana Borodina, 44, said she considered this the most special vote she has ever cast. She said she felt in a festive mood. |
| “If I want to live in another city or another country, I can move,” she said after voting to join Russia. “But Crimea should be Russian.” | “If I want to live in another city or another country, I can move,” she said after voting to join Russia. “But Crimea should be Russian.” |
| Down the block from School 3, an olive green military truck with Russian plates was parked outside a building that has become an office for self defense units that have formed. But around the school and near the polling booths themselves, there was no visible security whatsoever. | Down the block from School 3, an olive green military truck with Russian plates was parked outside a building that has become an office for self defense units that have formed. But around the school and near the polling booths themselves, there was no visible security whatsoever. |
| In half a dozen towns surrounding Simferopol, local poll officials said voters were showing up with exceptionally strong feelings about the referendum. | In half a dozen towns surrounding Simferopol, local poll officials said voters were showing up with exceptionally strong feelings about the referendum. |
| “People really want to express their feelings about what has been happening in Ukraine. This is coming from the heart,” said Ivan Karpovich, the polling station chairman in the town of Kashtanovoya, where he said 60 percent of registered voters had cast ballots by noon. By the same hour in the previous election in 2010, he said, only 21 percent of people had voted. | |
| Outside the converted rural clubhouse where Karpovich was managing a steady stream of voters, a woman emerged beaming with happiness. “I want to give the biggest possible thanks to Vladimir Putin. He gave us the chance to choose our future that we always longed for,” said Nadezhda Kozak, 38, a postal worker. “This will be the best thing for all Crimea, and we will have a great holiday.” | Outside the converted rural clubhouse where Karpovich was managing a steady stream of voters, a woman emerged beaming with happiness. “I want to give the biggest possible thanks to Vladimir Putin. He gave us the chance to choose our future that we always longed for,” said Nadezhda Kozak, 38, a postal worker. “This will be the best thing for all Crimea, and we will have a great holiday.” |
| Many voters in other towns, almost all members of Crimea’s 60 percent ethnic Russian populace, expressed similar strong emotions. A retired naval officer said he wanted kiss the boots of Russian soldiers who have entered Ukraine in recent weeks. A retired teacher said the vote would liberate Crimea from the new leaders in Kiev, calling them “the same fascists our grandfathers died fighting.” | |
| Tatars boycott | |
| The great majority of Crimean Tatars, a Muslim minority, seemed to have stayed away. In several polling places, officials said they had not registered a single Tatar by early afternoon. Some Tatars sat glumly in their living rooms, watching the TV news, but others took part in an organized “vareneky protest,” making Tatar-style ravioli stuffed with cheese and sharing it with their neighbors. | |
| “This is totally illegitimate, and I can’t bear to think about how things will be afterwards,” said Tatiana Zhritov, 40, a car mechanic’s wife who made vareneky for her family Sunday. “I am Russian and my husband is Tatar. We never had a single problem with anyone. Life is not perfect here in Ukraine but it has been peaceful. Now Russia is trying to divide us, and it is a terrible crime that will affect us for years to come.” | “This is totally illegitimate, and I can’t bear to think about how things will be afterwards,” said Tatiana Zhritov, 40, a car mechanic’s wife who made vareneky for her family Sunday. “I am Russian and my husband is Tatar. We never had a single problem with anyone. Life is not perfect here in Ukraine but it has been peaceful. Now Russia is trying to divide us, and it is a terrible crime that will affect us for years to come.” |
| In the Crimean town of Bakhchysaray, a political and cultural center for minority Tatars, several polling places were crammed with enthusiastic voters first thing Sunday morning. However, most appeared to be ethnic Russians, while several Tatars in the street said they would not vote. | |
| “We’re getting a lot more voters than usual, for so early in the day. Many say they have been waiting for this moment a long time,” said Galina Krivsova, a volunteer official at one polling station and a Russian language teacher. “A lot of older people remember the Soviet times, when it was easier to get apartments and other things. They want to go back.” | “We’re getting a lot more voters than usual, for so early in the day. Many say they have been waiting for this moment a long time,” said Galina Krivsova, a volunteer official at one polling station and a Russian language teacher. “A lot of older people remember the Soviet times, when it was easier to get apartments and other things. They want to go back.” |
| Krisova, like other poll workers in Bakhchysaray, was cordial to journalists, and the voting appeared to be orderly and efficient. The room was crowded and noisy with people asking questions, but officials with ledgers checked every ID card against lists and then guided voters to booths surrounded by cloth. A man guarded a large plexiglass box where people dropped their ballots. All those easily visible had check marks in the first of two boxes, which signified support of annexation to Russia. | Krisova, like other poll workers in Bakhchysaray, was cordial to journalists, and the voting appeared to be orderly and efficient. The room was crowded and noisy with people asking questions, but officials with ledgers checked every ID card against lists and then guided voters to booths surrounded by cloth. A man guarded a large plexiglass box where people dropped their ballots. All those easily visible had check marks in the first of two boxes, which signified support of annexation to Russia. |
| “I was born here when this was part of Russia, so I feel comfortable with Russia, and I voted for Russia,” said a retired soldier and school worker, 65, who gave his name as Yuri. He predicted that many of his Tatar neighbors would vote for annexation despite the boycott, because they depend on tourism for a living. | |
| “The best and richest tourists who come here are from Russia,” he said. | “The best and richest tourists who come here are from Russia,” he said. |
| A few blocks away, a Tatar café manager snorted when asked if he planned to vote. | A few blocks away, a Tatar café manager snorted when asked if he planned to vote. |
| “No way,” Leonor Osmanov, 50, said with a dismissive wave. “Russia has spread a lot of lies, but we are all able to organize our lives perfectly well in Ukraine. Our parents survived deportation and we will survive this too. We will defend Ukraine, not with weapons but with our voices.” | “No way,” Leonor Osmanov, 50, said with a dismissive wave. “Russia has spread a lot of lies, but we are all able to organize our lives perfectly well in Ukraine. Our parents survived deportation and we will survive this too. We will defend Ukraine, not with weapons but with our voices.” |
| Polls open to singing | |
| Security at polling places varied widely. At some schools there was virtually none. At others, soldiers wearing full-face balaclava masks and armed with Kalashnikov rifles guarded the entrances. | Security at polling places varied widely. At some schools there was virtually none. At others, soldiers wearing full-face balaclava masks and armed with Kalashnikov rifles guarded the entrances. |
| Few voters bothered to fold their ballots before dropping them in see-through boxes, and every visible ballot showed a checkmark for ballot question one — to join Russia. The other option is greater autonomy for Crimea, while technically remaining within Ukraine. | |
| When polls opened at School 60 in Sevastopol, a group of about 20 voters carrying Sevastopol flags and singing the city anthem trooped in to applause from other voters. Mothers came to vote with their children, who carried Russian flags or had Russian ribbons tied to their jacket sleeves. | When polls opened at School 60 in Sevastopol, a group of about 20 voters carrying Sevastopol flags and singing the city anthem trooped in to applause from other voters. Mothers came to vote with their children, who carried Russian flags or had Russian ribbons tied to their jacket sleeves. |
| Turnout at School 60, where 3,485 people are registered, has ranged from crowded to jampacked, said elections official Tatyana Karpenko. | Turnout at School 60, where 3,485 people are registered, has ranged from crowded to jampacked, said elections official Tatyana Karpenko. |
| “It’s been a very long wait — 23 years,” said Nikolai Papanyan, 31, after voting to join Russia. “Before, we elected politicians who promised to move closer to Russia. Now we’re doing it ourselves.” | |