MACEDONIA’S parliamentary election was marred by violence in Albanian areas and suspected fraud yesterday, with one person shot dead and nine wounded, and voting halted in one town after a gun battle.

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels today are expected to approve the bloc’s first military mission: taking over the small Nato peacekeeping operation in Macedonia.

OPPOSITION parties led

Ethnic Albanian rebels and Government forces clashed into the early hours today, straining a ceasefire ahead of a visit by Nato’s commander to assess whether it is safe to send thousands of British led troops into Macedonia.

Macedonia's ethnic Albanian guerrilla leader has declared that his fighters will hand over their weapons to NATO soldiers.