Macedonians began voting in a closely fought general election today, hoping to avoid the fraud and intimidation that marred past polls and stay on track for future membership of the European Union.
The ruling Social Democrats face a stiff challenge from the opposition VMRO-DPMNE, as voters vent frustration at a lack of jobs and decent wages 15 years after the country split peacefully from Yugoslavia.
Leaders have appealed for a free and fair vote, alarmed by a campaign marred by shootouts in the capital Skopje and attacks on party offices in the mainly Albanian west.
The EU and NATO say further violence, or a repeat of irregularities that tainted local elections in March 2005, could put on ice Macedonia's bid to join both blocs.
The Balkan country of 2 million people became an official candidate for EU membership in December 2005, four years after an ethnic Albanian insurgency threatened full-blown civil war.
"We must not allow anyone's ambitions to be more important than the interests and future of Macedonia," said President Branko Crvenkovski, a Social Democrat former prime minister.
Opinion polls suggest the Social Democrats, the main party in Macedonia's multi-ethnic ruling coalition, have lost ground to the VMRO-DPMNE as modest economic reforms fail to reduce jobless figures of more than 30 percent or push up the average monthly wage over €250 ($320).
But the VMRO-DPMNE, which has tried to shed its nationalist image, could struggle to find a coalition partner, analysts say.
The VMRO-DPMNE, named after two groups of Macedonians who fought against the Ottoman Turks, lost power in 2002, after ethnic Albanian guerrillas seized swathes of land in the north and west and fought government forces for six months.
Fighting stopped in autumn 2001 under an EU-brokered deal promising Macedonia's 25-per cent Albanian minority greater say over its own affairs.
A faction of the rebels entered government with Social Democrat Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski.
The 25-nation EU says it will review Macedonia's membership bid, including its performance on elections, in October.
Grappling with 'fatigue' over its eastward enlargement, the bloc stopped short of setting a date for accession talks.
The EU envoy to Skopje, Ireland 's Erwan Fouere, told Reuters Macedonia should not raise hopes of clinching a date any time soon, citing the slow pace of reform.
Polling stations are open from 7.00am 7.00pm. Exit polls are expected late today, and official preliminary results on Friday. European observers will give an initial assessment of the vote's conduct tomorrow.