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s/000924/world/afp/Two_wounded_in_shootings_at_Macedonian_elections__report.html

Sunday, September 24 10:37 PM SGT

Two wounded in shootings at Macedonian elections: report

SKOPJE, Sept 24 (AFP) -

A small girl and a man were wounded Sunday in separate shooting incidents
during Macedonia's
local elections, the private television channel Sitel reported.

However, officials played down the report and said the second round of
voting was going calmly,
after a first round on September 10 marred by violence in a poll that could
trigger early
parliamentary elections.

The electoral commission later confirmed that incidents had occured in
Strumica, a town 140
kilometres (87 miles) southwest of Skopje, but gave no further details.

The girl, whose age was not given, and a man were wounded when caught in an
exchange of gunfire
between supporters of the centre-left opposition and their opponents,
according to Sitel.

Voting was also suspended because of irregularities in two polling booths in
the captial, Skopje,
local media said.

The elections in the former Yugoslav republic have been criticised by the
European security
organisation, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which
cited intimidation at
the polling booths in the lst round of voting.

Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski has in principle accepted early
legislative elections if his coalition
wins 10 percent less support than the opposition. A general election is due
in 2002.

Until 11:00 a.m. (0900 GMT) -- four hours after polling booths had opened --
officials had reported
no incidents. Local election committees estimated a turnout of between 10
and 13 percent by 10:00
a.m. (0800 GMT), national television reported.

Campaigning between the first and second rounds of voting has focused on
calls by the opposition
for early legislative elections rather than on local issues.

Violence during the September 10 first round of voting left one person dead
and several injured after
supporters of two ethnic Albanian parties clashed.

Several ethnic Albanians were wounded during clashes between supporters of
the opposition Party
for Democratic Prosperity (PDP) and the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA),
which is part of the
ruling coalition.

An ethnic Albanian, a PDP supporter, shot in the village of Kondovo, near
Skopje, died Friday in a
Skopje hospital.

Following the first round violence the PDP decided to boycott this Sunday's
vote.

In the first round, voters turned out to elect local councillors by
proportional representation. They
were also voting in mayoral elections for for Skopje and another 123
municipalities, a vote decided
by a simple majority.

On Sunday, Macedonians were voting in 54 mayoral contests. Ballots are also
being rerun at polling
stations in 24 districts, due to irregularities in the first round.

Voting has had to be completely restaged in all 24 polling stations in the
Debar district, on the border
with Albania, because of the first-round violence.

Although complete results from the September 10 vote are not yet available,
partial figures suggest
that the center-right government and the opposition are practically
neck-and-neck.

Polling stations are due to close at 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT).
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