Falklands residents overwhelmingly favour continued British rule

The islanders of Falklands, called Malvinas by Argentina, overwhelmingly voted to keep the disputed islands under British rule, according to referendum results announced late Monday.

According to the announcement by Keith Padgett, chief executive of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, of the 1,649 people registered to vote, 1,518 participated in the voting process, with 1,513 votes, or 99.7 percent in favor of retaining the islands as British overseas territory.

The Sunday-Monday referendum was strongly rejected by Argentina, whose officials called it illegal many times.

The question asked in the referendum says: "Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?"

Under the "Yes" column, the text stated that the islands can review their status at any point in the future.

In terms of the "No" column, the article makes it clear that "a substantial no vote would encourage the Argentine government's sovereignty claim," adding that "a large no vote would weaken our chances of attaining more independence some day."

The disputed islands are home to a total of 2,931 residents.

Stanley, Falkland (Malvinas) Islands (Xinhua)