Skopje, Macedonia
Macedonia’s hard-line nationalist prime minister was ousted this week in the first election since last year’s ethnic Albanian uprising. The Social Democrats, who favor more rights for the Albanian minority, swept to an easy victory. Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski accepted his defeat peacefully. “These were the most democratic elections in the history of Macedonia,” said Georgievski. “Good luck to the winners.” The country has been roiled by tensions between its Slavic majority, who make up two-thirds of the population, and its ethnic Albanian minority. Most of the ethnic Albanian vote went to a new moderate party led by guerrilla leader Ali Ahmeti. Since Albanians are guaranteed a greater role in government under the power-sharing plan that ended last year’s uprising, Ahmeti is likely to get a Cabinet post.
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