Indications are that 55.3% of voters elected to secede from Serbia, just above the 55% required for victory.
Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic claimed early on Monday that his drive for independence had been successful.
But official results are not expected for several hours. If confirmed, the independence vote would erase the last vestige of the former Yugoslavia.
"Tonight, with the majority decision by the citizens of Montenegro, the independence of the country has been renewed," said Mr Djukanovic.
The question of independence has deeply divided Montenegro, with its opponents arguing that it will damage economic, family and political ties with Serbia.
The opposition leader who spearheaded the campaign against independence, Predrag Bulatovic, said his camp would not admit defeat based on an "arbitrary estimate by a monitoring group".
"The results are not final until they are confirmed by the state referendum commission," he said, urging the government to ask its supporters to leave the streets.
"Such a crucial decision must not be carried out by a trick," Mr Bulatovic said.
Serb politicians, Orthodox church leaders and Montenegrins from the mountainous inland regions bordering Serbia broadly opposed secession.
However, ethnic Montenegrins and Albanians from the coastal area largely back the prime minister and favoured independence.
Mr Djukanovic argued that an independent Montenegro will have a stronger economy and will be a better candidate for admission into the European Union.
Record turn-out
Indications that the pro-independence bloc may have won the vote prompted celebrations in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica.
The tooting of car horns filled the city and youths were seen waving the red and gold flag of the old Montenegrin monarchy. The country was last independent in 1918.
Guns and fireworks were let off in celebration.
Polls opened early on Sunday morning and turnout was said to have surpassed a record 85%.
Voters, some of them dressed in their Sunday best clothes, pondered the referendum question: "Do you want Montenegro to be an independent state with full international and legal legitimacy?"
In the days preceding the vote, thousands of Montenegrins living abroad were invited back to the country to cast their ballot.
The country has a population of fewer than 700,000 people, so the vote of the diaspora was considered as crucial by both camps.
Montenegro's loose union with Serbia was established in 2003, replacing what was left of the former Yugoslavia.
Both sides were given the option of electing to leave the union after three years.
The last time Montenegro was independent was nearly 90 years ago at the end of World War I, when it was absorbed into the newly-formed Yugoslavia.
In the days running up to the vote, thousands of Montenegrins living abroad have travelled home in order to cast their ballot.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/5003220.stm
1 comment:
really interesting story. But i have a question: the article said that after 3 years, both sides could choose to secede. this just talks about the montenegrin side of things. did serbia get to vote? if they already did, the results must have been no. did they get to vote in this election too? that would have been fairest. or were they stil planning on having their own election, that is now cancelled?
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