MACEDONIA could be on the brink of a new violent ethnic conflict as the country holds a referendum on a move to extend greater rights to the country’s Albanian minority.

Tomorrow’s referendum has been forced by opponents of the plan, which would give Albanians control over education, health and economic development in almost a quarter of local councils.

Albanians, who make up 25 per cent of the population, say that a rejection would invalidate the Ohrid peace agreement, which rescued the nation from all-out civil war after five months of ethnic conflict with Albanian guerrillas in 2001.

But Macedonian nationalists say the scheme effectively divides the country of two million people along ethnic lines.

Many Macedonians looked on Ohrid as a capitulation and the final stage of its implementation has revived animosities.

Albanian would become one of the official languages of Skopje, the capital, and boundary changes would give towns such as Struga and Kicevo Albanian majorities.

Nationalists were emboldened by America’s decision this week to recognise its chosen, but disputed, name of Macedonia. The name is repudiated by neighbouring Greece, which alleges that Macedonia harbours territorial claims over its northern province of the same name. The UN and the EU recognise the country as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greece says it will veto the country’s possible entry into the EU and Nato if no deal is reached on the name.

Yesterday Ali Ahmeti, who led the Albanian uprising in 2001, said that the Ohrid agreement would be “practically invalidated” if the referendum succeeded. He said: “It would undoubtedly put into question the entire peace process and confidence-building process between Macedonians and Albanians. We would have to look at a variety of alternatives to find a solution.”

But Todor Petrov, chairman of the Macedonian World Congress (MWC) which called for the referendum and strongly opposes the plans, said: “This arrogant Government is ignoring the wishes of the majority of the Macedonian people who do not want to see these municipal boundary changes.”

For the referendum to succeed, 50 per cent of the electorate must vote and more than half of those voting must support reversing the government reforms. The coalition Government that includes Macedonians and Albanians is calling on people to boycott the ballot and thus invalidate it.

Michael Sahlin, the EU’s Special Representative in Macedonia, said if the referendum succeeded it “would cause constitutional turmoil” and delay entry to the EU and Nato. “It would (also) create a climate for those who believe in violence to exploit,” he said.

MACEDONIA

• One of the republics of the former Yugoslavia. Recognized by the UN in April 1993 as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
  
• Population of 2 million (65% Macedonian, 25% Albanian, 10% others)
  
• Submitted application to join the EU in March
  
• Former President Boris Trajkovski, architect of the Ohrid Peace Agreement, died in a plane crash in Bosnia in February

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