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Czechs have begun voting in a historic referendum on joining the European Union. Polls opened to the public at 2pm Friday. Among public figures who cast their ballots early in the afternoon were former president Vaclav Havel, who all along has indicated his support for the European Union, and current President Vaclav Klaus, who refrained from indicating this week which way he would cast his vote. Asked on Friday as he left the voting booth whether he would reveal his decision at last, the president had this to say:

"Definitely not. You know, I am absolutely sure my vote was the right one, and you may just guess."

Mr Klaus was also asked by journalists how he gauged the importance of the referendum for the Czech Republic overall:

"Well, it's an important moment in our effort to become, after thirteen years a normal, standard European country. In some respects the vote will be part of the whole process."

The polls close on Friday at 10pm local time. On Saturday they will reopen at 8am till 2pm, when final ballots must be cast. Unconfirmed results should be made available almost immediately after polls close. There is no minimum turnout needed for the referendum to be declared valid, but the vote is binding. If a majority of people vote "Yes" to joining the EU, there will be no need for the parliament to ratify accession. In the event of a "No" vote, the government can ask the president to hold a second referendum in two years' time. The latest opinion polls suggest that between 70 - 75 percent of those who come to the polls will vote for accession.

Members of the centre-left coalition have been urging people to say "Yes" to the European Union in this weekend's referendum. Led by Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, ministers in the Social Democrat-dominated cabinet walked the streets and held special press conferences to persuade people to go to the polls. President Vaclav Klaus - often described as a Euro-sceptic - has urged people to vote in the plebiscite, but has refused to recommend EU membership to his citizens. Neither will he say which way he himself will vote.

Polls open at 2pm on Friday, and close at 2pm on Saturday. Unconfirmed results should be available almost immediately. There is no minimum turnout needed for the referendum to be declared valid, but the vote is binding: if a majority of people vote "Yes" to joining the EU, there will be no need for the parliament to ratify accession. In the event of a "No" vote, the government can ask the President to hold a second referendum in two years' time. The latest opinion polls suggest around 75 percent will vote in favour of accession, although a low turnout could reduce that margin considerably.

The former president Vaclav Havel is one of the guests of honor at a concert in support of EU accession held at the bottom end of Wenceslas Square on Tuesday evening. The event was preceded by a dispute with the Town Hall which would not allow it to take place on the Old Town Square citing noise pollution. Following a great deal of criticism the Town Hall approved Wenceslas Square as a more appropriate location. Get-togethers in support of EU accession are taking place in several parts of Prague. The Prague 3 Zizkov district is organizing an outdoor event called "Zizkov goes to Europe". Czechs are due to vote on EU accession this weekend.