Mohammadi News Agency News – Features – Photo
MNA International Desk: Thousands of people through Britain cast vote on Thursday in a historic battled, knife-edge referendum that could tear up the island nation’s EU future membership and spark the utmost emergency of the block’s 60-year history.
A record 46.5 million voters are signed up to take a permanent decision on Britain’s future in the 28-nation European Union.
In this referendum each voter must write a cross by one of two options:
- “Remain a member of the European Union”
- “Leave the European Union”
World financial markets, like voters, are in suspense over the result. Two polls – both conducted over the Internet – put the ‘Leave’ camp ahead by one or two percentage points, well within the margin of error.
But a telephone poll gave ‘Remain’ a notable lead of 48%, ahead of ‘Leave’ on 42%.
Financial organizations are strengthening teams to cope with the prospect of panicky trading through the day and the world’s leading central banks said they are prepared to react in any possibility.
The often acrimonious, deeply emotional campaign has exposed a gulf among Britons on membership of Europe.
Prime Minister David Cameron, who has staked his political legacy on the referendum, implored people to vote to stay in the bloc at a final rally in Birmingham on the eve of voting.
“Winston Churchill didn’t give up on European democracy… and we shouldn’t walk away. Our economy will suffer if we leave,” he warned.
“If you jump out of the aeroplane you cannot clamber back through the cockpit hatch. That is why anyone in any doubt should vote remaining tomorrow.” He later added.
French President Francois Hollande warned an exit would be ‘irreversible’.
A British withdrawal from the EU would trigger a lengthy exit negotiation, leading to the loss of unfettered access to its partners in the EU’s single market and forcing the country to strike its own trade accords across the world.
In Europe, the referendum has raised concerns of a domino effect of exit votes that would imperil the integrity of the bloc, already buffeted by the Eurozone and migration crises.
The referendum battle stopped for three days to honor the brutal murder of pro-“Remain” British lawmaker Jo Cox, shot and left bleeding to death on the pavement a week ahead of the vote.
EU leaders will open a two-day summit in Brussels on Tuesday to deal with the result and decide how to cope with the risk of similar referendums on the continent that could threaten the block’s integrity.
