PODGORICA (Reuters) - Montenegro’s opposition, which refuses to accept referendum results showing the country voted for independence, said yesterday that it would seek a rerun in dozens of polling stations. Official preliminary figures say 55.5 percent of voters in the Adriatic republic opted for ending its union from much-larger Serbia, just above the 55 percent requirement set by the European Union for recognition of the result. Predrag Bulatovic, the leader of the pro-union bloc, said tens of thousands of votes were in question in several towns where the pro-independence side had a significant lead. “We are asking for a repeat of the vote in dozens of polling stations,” Bulatovic told a news conference, adding they suspected irregularities in voters’ lists, such as double registrations and illegal entries.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, battered by financial and political turbulence, tried to reassert his authority yesterday, ruling out early elections and vowing more economic reforms. “We are working for the peace and security of all our citizens, not only of those who voted for us,” Erdogan told a meeting of Justice and Development Party lawmakers in a televised speech that stressed the need for national unity and solidarity. He described the May 17 shooting of a judge at Turkey’s top administrative court as a “provocation” by unnamed forces he said wanted to divide and destabilize the nation. Erdogan signaled his government would serve out its full five-year mandate, which expires in November 2007. “Those expecting us to decide on an early election should not get their hopes up,” he said in a televised speech.

The European Commission is drawing up a list of tasks that Bulgaria and Romania need to complete by October in order to be ready for EU membership next year, a senior official said yesterday. “We are in the process of preparing... what we call ‘to-do’ lists to indicate very precisely the different steps that need to be undertaken,” said Ricardo Pascual Bremon, who is in charge of coordinating EU enlargement strategy. He said that the list is being “prepared together with the governments of both countries so that both countries know what we mean.” In a report submitted to the European Parliament earlier this month, the Commission listed 10 “areas of serious concern” — six for Bulgaria and four for Romania, including the fight against corruption — that it said “require urgent action.” (AFP)