Crimeans Celebrate Landslide Vote to Join Russia

Thousands of Crimeans celebrated on Sunday the outcome of a referendum that confirmed overwhelming support for the southern Ukrainian region to join Russia. The latest results showed Monday some 96.6 percent of voters in Crimea backed reunion with Russia after 60 years as part of Ukraine. People cheered the historic vote in the regional capital Simferopol waving Russian flags and singing Soviet-era songs. "We're going home. Crimea is going to Russia," Crimean leader Serhiy Aksyonov said. Crimea’s regional assembly, which was dissolved by the Ukrainian parliament Saturday, plans to send a formal request to Moscow to join Russia after a session on Monday. The Russian parliament is expected announce its decision on Crimea’s fate in the short term, the deputy speaker of the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, said Monday. “The results of the Crimean referendum have clearly shown that Crimeans see their future only as part of Russia. People voted in favor of reunion with the nation that has always lived together with them,” Sergei Neverov said.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140317/188508062/Crimeans-Celebrate-Landslide-Vote-to-Join-Russia.html