The head of the country's electoral commission said 55.4% of voters had voted to secede from Serbia, just above the 55% required for victory. The result is set to erase the last vestige of the former Yugoslavia. The question of independence has deeply divided Montenegro, with its opponents arguing it will damage economic, family and political ties with Serbia. "Tonight, with the majority decision by the citizens of Montenegro, the independence of the country has been renewed," said Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana commended the conduct of the poll and said he would respect the result.

Electoral Commission Chairman Frantisek Lipka said 25,000 votes, about 5% of the total, were still to be counted, but he said they were not expected to affect the outcome. Final results will be announced at 19:00 local time (17:00 GMT). One European Parliament election observer, Robert Evans, said everything in the vote had satisfied their requirements, reported BBC.