AKIPRESS.COM - 50 politicians and observers from 21 countries – including the United States, Israel, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece – have been registered to attend a referendum on Sunday in Ukraine’s Crimea on secession and annexation by Russia, chairman of the election commission Mikhail Malyshev said Thursday.

In Sunday's vote, residents in the majority Russian-speaking Crimea will be given two options: uniting with Russia or remaining in Ukraine with expanded autonomy.

Malyshev said that the first exit poll results will be released on Monday and that ballots have already been distributed to regional election offices.

The Ukrainian Parliament earlier said ballots will be provided in the Ukrainian, Russian and Tatar languages.

The election chairman added that more than 1.52 million people are eligible to vote. That figure does not include residents in the port city of Sevastopol, home to nearly 380,000 people and a major Russian naval base, which has its own election authority.

The Parliament of Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on Tuesday, adding in its statement that if the popular vote passes the country will become independent and will immediately request annexation by Moscow.

Authorities in Kiev and international leaders have condemned the upcoming referendum as illegitimate and lashed out at the Kremlin for violating international law in attempting to annex the region.