Halloranians Say No To Euraziya

Saturday, March 26th, 2016

Los Sevastopol, Halloranian SSR. Halloranian officials have announced the results of what was perhaps the most hotly debated referendum in the history of modern Hallorania.

On Monday, March 14th, the Halloranian government asked its citizens at home and abroad the following question:

Do you want Hallorania to become an integral part of the Euraziya?

The results, as announced by the Halloranian Ministry of the Interior this morning, are as follows:

• 32.6% - “Yes”
• 67.4% - “No”
• Voter turnout: 77%

It was expected that around 35 to 40% of Halloranians would vote, yet the voter turnout reported was almost double: a whooping 77%, a participation figure almost unheard of for IUSR democracies. "We are very proud of our citizenry," Ahmed Rothstein, government spokesperson, said of the voter turnout last Monday, but refrained from announcing results.

It has been an anguishing two weeks for IUSR and Codeco officials alike, as the fate of both international organizations—each of very distinct natures—could be decided by the results of this referendum. The Halloranian government has refrained from commenting on the implications of these results, as have the Krasniyan and Neo-Meshikan governments, and the high officials from both international organizations.

As often happens with a controversial referendum, a pro-Euraziyan activist group has put forward a claim of rigged ballots, a claim that brigades of international observers deem "unsubstantiated".

The current atmosphere in Hallorania is one of shock and uncertainty.

*We will update this article as events unfold.