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A pistillate casts her ballot for a referendum connected law changes, successful Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. The authorities has said the amendments are designed to boost independency of the judiciary and are portion of betterment needed for Serbia's European Union rank bid. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

BELGRADE – Serbia held a referendum Sunday connected law amendments that the populist authorities says are needed for the Balkan state to beforehand successful a bid to articulation the European Union.

The ballot focuses connected the changes successful the predetermination of judges and prosecutors that authorities accidental are aimed astatine boosting their independency successful the state wherever the judiciary is wide seen arsenic corrupt and politically controlled.

The referendum has been hailed by the United States, the European Union and immoderate Western countries arsenic a measurement successful the close direction. But critics astatine location accidental the changes are insufficient.

Some absorption parties and autarkic experts besides person argued that the referendum was organized successful a mostly non-democratic atmosphere, excessively hastily and excessively soon earlier an predetermination that is owed successful aboriginal April.

President Aleksandar Vucic's authorities has faced accusations of curbing antiauthoritarian freedoms, which they person denied. Vucic and different officials connected Sunday urged voters to enactment the amendments and assistance the state determination forward.

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About 6.5 cardinal Serbian citizens were eligible to ballot successful the referendum. A elemental bulk of those who crook retired determine connected the outcome. Official results were expected connected Monday.

The authorities has urged the Serb number successful Kosovo — a erstwhile Serbian state that declared independency successful 2008 — to travel to adjacent towns successful Serbia to formed ballots aft Kosovo authorities refused to let for the opening of polling stations there.

Dozens of Kosovo Serbs connected Sunday held a protestation successful the Serb-dominated bluish portion of Kosovo. No incidents were reported.

Serbia doesn't admit the independency of Kosovo, which has been backed by the U.S. and astir EU countries. Serbia and Kosovo indispensable normalize relations to beryllium capable to beforehand toward EU membership.

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