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Despite calls from the international community and the Iraqi government, residents of the region of Kurdistan stepped out on Monday to cast their votes in an independence referendum.

In a televised address on Sunday, Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned of the dire consequences of the vote and vowed to never accept the disintegration of Iraq.

"This is an unconstitutional decision against the social fabric of our citizens. We will not recognise the referendum, nor its results," Abadi said.

"We will take follow-up steps to protect the unity of the country and the interests of every citizen living in a unified Iraq."

Meanwhile, the President of Iraq's Kurdish regional government, Masoud Barzani, has defended the decision to hold the referendum.

"Is it a crime to ask people in Kurdistan to express in a democratic way what they want to have for the future?" he asked in a speech on Sunday.

The Kurdish leader also said he would seek talks with Iraq's central government on how to implement the outcome of the vote. 

"If we have a constructive dialogue, then we can give it even more time, in order to secure better relations between the Kurds and Baghdad," he said.