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However gunfire and election irregularities forced officials to close nearly 20 polling stations. It was expected to add to concerns among foreign missionaries in Macedonia, who have tried to tackle religious and ethnic hatred in the country.
"The term "Christian" here has mostly ethnic and political connotations. It differentiates Slavic Macedonians from their countrymen of Albanian descent, who bear the label "Muslim"," said the international mission group SEND. "Both cling to their labels more as an ethnic ID tag than a life changing faith.
"Many here are spiritually hungry [as] five decades of Communism left thousands of atheists, even though most maintain their Orthodox label," the group said, adding that, "Evangelical churches are often referred to as "cults", and such rumors can scare people away."
The European Union has urged Macedonian politicians to reach across ethnic and religious lines, but with at least one man dead and eight others injured there were no signs Sunday that process had begun. Election officials said two separate shootings occurred in the village of Aracinovo, near the capital, Skopje.
Villagers reported the troubles began when someone tried to vote on behalf of multiple people for a party of the country’s ethnic-Albanian minority. He and another party supporter were injured during a shootout with special police, and one apparently died of his injuries.
WIDER CONFLICT?
The shooting raised fears of a new wider ethnic conflict in the area. Aracinovo is in a region where insurgents fought Macedonian government forces in 2001 to win more rights for ethnic Albanians, who comprise about a quarter of Macedonia’s two million people.
There were also shootings and gunmen reported elsewhere in ethnic-Albanian areas, including near the headquarters of the Democratic Union for Integration party. The election tensions follow a bitter campaign and allegations of assassination attempts against ethnic-Albanian opposition leaders.
Despite the troubles, the claimed victory by pro-Western Prime Minister Gruevski was expected to be confirmed by official results. In televised comments, he urged supporters not to be intimidated by violence, and help his country to join the European Union and other Western organizations.
"Do not be scared about your decision, and do not ignore your responsibility," Gruevski said. "You have the right to ask things for your country. You can be a patriot and be proud to enter the European Union."
ALBANIAN OPPOSITION
That opinion was by ethnic-Albanian opposition rival Ali Ahmedi, who said he survived an assassination attempt. He told France 24 Television through an interpreter that he has urged supporters to vote, despite apparent threats.
"This physical threats against the party, which were repeated, are meant to terrorize them not to vote," Ahmedi stressed. [However] "The more people vote, the larger the distance will be between the two parties."
Prime Minister Gruevski called the early parliamentary elections after failing to secure NATO membership for his country, which was blocked by Greece. It says Macedonia should first change its name, because it resembles one of Greece’s provinces.
If re-elected, Prime Minister Gruevski’s government is likely to include a partner from the ethnic-Albanian parties, according to analysts. The European Union has warned Macedonia that political and ethnic stability in the country is crucial for its European future. (Part of this BosNewsLife News story also airs on the Voice of America network via www.voanews.com BosNewsLife NEWS WATCH is a regular look at news developments impacting the Church and/or compassionate proffesionals).
