Brazil's 2nd biggest state votes on 3-way split

Voters in the Amazonian state of Para trooped to the polls Sunday in a referendum to decide whether or not to split the nation's second biggest state in three, with latest polls suggesting victory for the no vote. State media reported calm as federal army troops were deployed to help 6,700 police ensure security in key cities across the resource-rich territory. Voting began at 8 am and was to close at 5 pm, with nearly 4.6 million registered voters called upon to cast their ballots. Under the referendum authorized by Congress in May, voters are being asked to reply to two questions: first whether or not to create a new state of Tapajos, then whether or not another state, Carajas, should be established. A survey by pollster Datafolha, cited by Brazilian dailies Saturday, indicated that 64 percent of voters oppose creation of Tapajos and 65 percent are against the establishment of Carajas. Speaking in the state capital Belem, the president of the Higher Electoral Tribunal, Ricardo Lewandowski, hailed the plebiscite as "an extremely important moment." "It shows that Brazilian democracy is mature and strengthened," he told reporters. Under the breakup plan, a truncated Para with Belem as its capital would be left with 17 percent of the territory but 64 percent of the population. Tapajos, which would contain large protected indigenous and forest areas, would end up with nearly 59 percent the territory and only 15 percent of the population. Carajas would get 24 percent of the territory and 21 percent of the population. Critics of the division, concentrated in the Belem area, argue that a split would saddle the new states with deficits and would create new expenses for the federal government. If the yes vote wins, dividing the state -- which has a population of more than seven million -- will still require approval by both chambers of Congress and President Dilma Rousseff. Spread across an area more than twice the size of France, Para ranks second only to Amazonas, the country's largest, and includes more than 74 million hectares (183 million acres) of protected areas. Both are part of the Amazon region, the world's largest tropical rainforest and one of the world's largest reserves of fresh water. In 1988, Tocantins, also located in the Amazon region, became the newest Brazilian state when it was created out of the northern part of Goias state. Brazil currently has 26 states and one federal district which contains the capital, Brasilia.