One shot dead and nine wounded as violence mars Macedonian polls

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

GCSEs are a pointless waste of time

A few facts. Last year almost 70% of 16 year olds achieved at least 5 GCSE passes with grades A*-C. ...

Asylum seekers: When the questions tell us so much more than the answers

For the last four years I've been paying my karmic dues (I would say "contributing to the big societ...

Thanks to The Sun, for enriching each of our lives

Those at the super-soaraway Sun are, yet again, making outlandish claims that they’ve changed the wo...

Ones to watch: Aiden Grimshaw to Hey Sholay

With so much new music coming out it’s difficult to keep track of what’s out there. It’s a lucky dip...

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski declared victory in Macedonia's early parliamentary election yesterday after a vote marred by reports of fraud and gunbattles that could deal a blow to the Balkan country's European Union and NATO aspirations.

Violence that centered on ethnic Albanian areas left one person dead and eight wounded, authorities said, and underscored the increasing rivalry between the minority's two main parties.

Authorities suspended voting in 22 polling stations — 1 percent of the country's total — because of intimidation, violence or reports of ballot fraud, and said they would hold reruns for those areas.

State election commission spokesman Zoran Tanevski said that with votes from 97 percent of polling stations counted, VMRO won 48.21 percent, far ahead of the Social Democrats' 23.19 percent. The Democratic Party of Albanians led by Menduh Thaci had 10.33 percent, while the rival ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration had 11.23 percent.

Hundreds of Gruevski's supporters spilled onto the main square in Skopje, the capital, to celebrate, waving party flats and chanting his name.

"Macedonia has the power to go ahead. The country has the energy for progress, to join NATO and EU," Gruevski he said.

"I regret for the violence and incidents that broke in Macedonia's northwest, in the areas with ethnic Albanians. But the vote was mostly fair and peaceful in the rest of the country."

In the predominantly ethnic Albanian town of Tetovo, hundreds of Thaci's supporters gathered in front of the DPA's headquarters where music blasted from loudspeakers and dozens of cars circled the main square, waving flags and shooting in the air. The DPA is part of the outgoing governing coalition.

Western observers expressed grave concern over the conduct of the election.

"We are deeply concerned by the many ... corroborated reports of not only acts of intimidation, but also blatant violence, shooting, injuries to innocent people," said Erwan Fouere, head of the European Union office in Macedonia.

Such intimidation and violence "have no place in a democratic society," he told The Associated Press.

Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski said one person was killed, eight were wounded and 21 were arrested. Those detained included former rebel commander Agim Krasniqi, who had led a 50-strong armed group into a village north of Skopje in 2004 claiming the government and ethnic Albanian leaders had broken promises to provide former rebels with an amnesty and jobs.

The head of the Social Democrats, Radmila Sekerinska, congratulated Gruevski on his victory, but criticized the conduct of the election.

"The price that we have paid today is to high because there were a loss of human life, violations, shootings," she said. "These were the worst organized elections and the winners are taking now the huge responsibility for Macedonia."

Macedonia had hoped the election would produce a strong government and prove it was ready to set a date for the start of EU accession talks. The country was also bitterly disappointed at being blocked from joining NATO by neighboring Greece because of a dispute over its name.

Political analyst Biljana Vankovska said the violence had created "the worst scenario that someone could imagine for Macedonia."

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

'I may be deaf, but you can still talk to me'

'I may be deaf, but you can still talk to me'

Being a teenager is hard enough – for those with hearing loss, it can be even more complicated
A right royal trip down the river

A right royal trip down the river

A new exhibition celebrates the glory days of London's mighty Thames
The 10 Best lawn mowers

The 10 Best lawn mowers

From petrol-fuelled to self-propelled
Every second counts

Why does life appear to speed up as we get older?

Matilda Battersby finds out how the clock plays tricks with our minds
Couture on the Croisette: Fashion hits

Couture on the Croisette

The best outfits from the 2012 Cannes Film Festival
Child of the revolution: the Burmese family that democracy brought back together

Home of the free

The Burmese family that democracy brought back together
Cannes review: Canine accolade and Hitler's return are high spots amid the gloom

Cannes review

Frocks, canine accolade and Hitler's return
Robert Fisk: The going price of getting away with murder... would $33m be enough?

The going price of getting away with murder

Robert Fisk: The long view
Principled Skinner rises above the fray

Principled Skinner rises above the fray

Andy McSmith meets Dennis Skinner
Patrick Cockburn: I fear this terrible massacre will be the beginning of a long civil war in Syria

Patrick Cockburn

I fear this terrible massacre will be the beginning of a long civil war in Syria
Hardeep Singh Kohli: For me, it is all about 'Gregory's Girl', a record of first love

Hardeep Singh Kohli

For me, it is all about 'Gregory's Girl', a record of first love
Christian Louboutin: 'I don't think comfort equals happiness'

Christian Louboutin interview

'I don't think comfort equals happiness'
Happy birthday, Hotel Babylon!

Happy birthday, Hotel Babylon!

Hollywood's home to the A-list celebrates 100 years of discreet luxury
Rupert Cornwell: Low-rise capital could finally reach for the sky

Rupert Cornwell: Out of America

Low-rise capital could finally reach for the sky
The secret life of the red carpet

The secret life of the red carpet

As Cannes reaches its climax with the Palme d'Or and the celebrities gather in London for the Baftas tonight, Kate Youde and Jack Dean investigate the real star of the show