Polls close in Macedonian vote

Election day was being closely monitored by the EU

Polls have closed in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's fourth general election since the country gained independence in 1991.

The election is being seen as an important indicator as to how quickly Macedonia will be able to join the EU.

Extra police were deployed following a series of violent incidents during the election campaign, but voting appeared to have passed off fairly peacefully.

Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours.

Macedonia became an independent state after breaking away from the former Yugoslavia.

The bad practices of the past must stay right there - in the past Erwan Fouere EU ambassador to Macedonia Q&A: Macedonia election

In the past, coalition governments have been the norm, with the larger parties forming alliances with the smaller ethnic Albanian ones.

With this election too close to call, most analysts expect another coalition formed along the same lines, says the BBC's Nick Hawton in the capital, Skopje.

More than 30 political parties and coalitions fielded candidates for the country's 120-seat assembly.

More than 42% of the 1.7 million eligible voters had cast their ballot two hours before polls closed at 1900 local time (1700 GMT), the state electoral commission said.

'Irregularities'

Although the voting passed off peacefully, the electoral commission did report some irregularities throughout the day.

Ballot-stuffing was reported at a couple of polling stations near the town of Tetovo, and there was an attempt to start a fire at one polling station in Skopje, which was quickly brought under control.

Macedonia's Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski is seeking a second term

The election campaign had been marred by violence, mainly within the ethnic Albanian community, our correspondent says.

President Branko Crvenkovski said he hoped the elections would be "peaceful, fair and democratic".

"I believe we are going to get a positive assessment from Brussels that will allow us to continue our path towards the EU and Nato," he said, after casting his vote in Skopje.

The EU warned that future membership of the union could be severely delayed if there was serious trouble on polling day.

"Hopefully this lesson has been learnt and... there will be a respect of all the codes," the EU ambassador to Macedonia, Erwan Fouere, said.

"And also the party leaders will realise that the bad practices of the past must stay right there - in the past," he said.

Macedonia was granted EU candidate status in December 2005.