Serbs in north Kosovo on Tuesday began voting in a contentious two-day referendum on concessions which Belgrade, under pressure from the European Union, has agreed to make to Kosovo's benefit, Agence France-Presse reported.
More than 35,000 voters in four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo are asked to say yes or no to the question, "Do you accept the institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo?"
Eighty-two polling stations opened at 7am.
The referendum began two days before the anniversary of Kosovo's independence, declared on 17 February 2008, which Serbs in Kosovo and Belgrade do not recognise.
Serbian President Boris Tadic recently said the referendum was unconstitutional. "The referendum can only help to deepen the crisis. First of all, it's not in accordance with (Serbia's) Constitution."
Kosovo has a population of two million, including about 120,000 Serbs of whom 40,000 live in the north along the Serbian border. In the south, Serbs live in enclaves surrounded by an Albanian majority and are not voting in the referendum.
Representatives of the international community in Kosovo and the authorities in Pristina are against the referendum, saying it will not have any legal consequences.
