A two-day referendum

The Lithuanians are voting in a two-day referendum to decide whether to join the European Union. Opinion polls have consistently shown strong support for EU membership, but there has been concern over whether enough voters will turn out to render the referendum valid. Lithuania's chief EU negotiator, Petras Austrevicius, said there were no doubts as to the result of the vote, but there was some anxiety about the turnout. Under Lithuanian law more than half of the 2.6 million registered voters must cast their ballots in order for the referendum to be valid.