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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 16, 2002

Macedonian Premier Concedes Defeat

Macedonia's prime minister conceded defeat for his ruling party early Monday after the troubled Balkan country's first elections since convulsing in ethnic warfare last year.


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Macedonia's prime minister conceded defeat for his ruling party early Monday after the troubled Balkan country's first elections since convulsing in ethnic warfare last year.

Premier Ljubco Georgievski confirmed that the ruling Macedonian party, known as VMRO, was ousted from the government in Sunday's parliamentary elections by the opposition Together for Macedonia coalition led by former communist Branko Crvenkovski.

``At this moment, it is fully clear that we will not be able to form a new government, and we are congratulating the winner,'' Georgievski said. ``These were the most democratic elections in the history of Macedonia. VMRO will remain a strong opposition, and good luck to the winners.''

Georgievski's concession came just hours after the leader of the Democratic Party of Albanians, the junior partner in the governing coalition, also acknowledged defeat to a new party headed by a popular former rebel leader.

Arben Xhaferi, leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Albanians, conceded the election late Sunday to former rebel leader Ali Ahmeti, whose Union for Democratic Integration claimed a landslide win.

``We will cooperate with Ahmeti's party and work for the Albanian cause,'' Xhaferi said.

Jubilant supporters were celebrating at Ahmeti's campaign headquarters near the northwestern city of Tetovo, chanting, singing and playing traditional Albanian instruments as bodyguards armed with Kalashnikov rifles stood guard outside. Celebratory gunfire also rang out in the capital, Skopje.

Ethnic Albanians praised Ahmeti for helping to lead last year's six-month guerrilla uprising, an effort to win greater rights for the minority, which accounts for about a third of Macedonia's 2.2 million people.

Source: Agencies


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