Macedonia: president urges voters to ensure a fair vote

Opinion polls suggest a close race between Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski's governing center-left coalition and challengers - in a country still troubled by ethnic tension. The campaign has been marred by violence between supporters of rival ethnic Albanian parties.

Photo: Macedonia: president urges voters to ensure a fair vote

Macedonia hopes to join NATO in 2008 and the EU in 2012.

The 25-nation EU made Macedonia an official candidate for membership in December 2005 but has not set a date for accession talks.

More than two dozen violent incidents were reported in the run-up to the election, including grenade and machine gun attacks at a local party offices. No deaths were reported, but three people were wounded in a shootout.

The violence eased after calls for calm by the U.S. ambassador and EU's envoy to Macedonia.

Landlocked Macedonia, a nation of 2.1 million people, gained independence in 1991 with the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, avoiding the bloodshed that occurred in Croatia and Bosnia. Ethnic Albanians make up about a quarter of the population.

European Union and NATO officials have warned Macedonia that a free and fair vote on Wednesday is critical to the Balkan nation's hopes of joining their organizations. Local elections in March last year were marred by irregularities.