SKOPJE (AFP) - Macedonia's opposition complained of "fraud" after a referendum to overturn EU-backed legislation giving more autonomy to the country's ethnic Albanian minority failed due to low turnout.
The VMRO-DPMNE opposition party and Macedonian World Congress lobby group cried foul over alleged dirty tricks by the government, which had called for a boycott, to scupper Sunday's plebiscite.
A large majority of those who took part voted to overturn the legislation, but the referendum nevertheless failed because it came nowhere near close to the required minimum of 50 percent participation.
Electoral officials early Monday confirmed the government's estimates that turnout was around 26 percent of 1.7 million voters in the former Yugoslav republic.
Electoral commission spokesman Zoran Tanevski said that of 436,202 votes cast, 409,886 were in favour of throwing out the legislation which was passed under EU pressure in August.
The government, ethnic Albanian leaders and the European Union called for voters to boycott, saying failure to implement the legislation would derail Macedonia's bid to join the EU and NATO.
The laws are the last step in the internationally brokered Ohrid peace accords which ended seven months of fighting between government forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas in 2001, narrowly averting another Balkan war.
VMRO-DPMNE spokesman Aleksandar Bicikliski complained of irregularities in polling booths, electricity cuts and "intimidation" of voters.
"We have faced major fraud because citizens have not been able to exercise their right to vote in various areas of the country," he told AFP late Sunday, adding that the party would consider challenging the legality of the poll.
"We are sure if citizens were able to vote the turnout would have been much higher."
Other opposition groups criticised President Branko Crvenkovski for addressing a public meeting in Skopje overnight Saturday, which they said breached the 48-hour electoral silence period before the vote.
The president spoke to supporters as part of celebrations over Washington's recognition of the country's constitutional name, the Republic of Macedonia, in the face of protests from neighbouring Greece.
The government also relaxed drinking hours on Saturday.
"Of course the US decision is welcome but the celebrations should be held at an appropriate time and this is against the election law," said Todor Petrov, president of the World Congress of Macedonians lobby group.
He said the Congress, an umbrella group of various non-government organisations which helped raise 180,000 signatures to call the referendum, would not accept the results.
"The World Congress of Macedonians is not going to accept the official results when 20 percent of the territory of Macedonia had no proper voting process and polling stations were either not open or closed early," he said.
"We'll take this to the Supreme Court."
Electoral commission officials noted minor irregularities but observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe are not due to make a statement until later Monday.
The British government, whose Europe Minister Denis MacShane had visited Skopje before the ballot and urged Macedonians to stay at home, was quick to recognise the result.
"The leadership of the government and responsible Macedonian and Albanian leaders sent a clear signal that Macedonia would not turn back the clock to a past of ethnic tension," MacShane said.
The Social Democratic Union (SDU), the main party in the ruling coalition, said the referendum's failure cleared the way for Macedonia's advancement into the EU. Brussels opened formal accession talks with Skopje last month.
"We have sent a strong message to the EU and NATO today that the citizens know the way ahead and they are counting on your support for integration," SDU Vice President and Defence Minister Vlado Buckovski said.
"There were no winners and losers today. Macedonia is more united than ever."
11/08/2004 - 16:49 GMT - AFP