1st LD Writethru: Sixty-one pct of Dutch voters reject EU-Ukraine deal in referendum: official results

Sixty-one percent of Dutch voters said no to the law that approves the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine during the advisory referendum held last Wednesday.

The turnout stood at 32.28 percent, just above the 30 percent threshold to make the results valid.

According to the official results published on Tuesday by the Dutch Electoral Council, 61 percent (2.5 million voters) voted against the agreement while 38.21 percent voted in favor and 0.79 percent voted blank.

Of a total of 12.8 million eligible voters, 4.1 million voters cast their vote. Therefore, the result serves as an advisory verdict rejecting the Dutch parliament's approval act of the EU-Ukraine deal.

The referendum results provide an opinion and are, according to the law, not binding. A majority of "no" voters will force the government to reconsider the agreement, but that does not necessarily mean a final rejection.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that the Netherlands will not "just like that" ratify the treaty immediately after the exit poll on April 6. "If the turnout is above 30 percent with such a large margin of victory for the 'No' camp then my sense is that ratification can't simply go ahead," he said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said on Tuesday that the cabinet's official response will be made no later than September. Enditem