Only 25% turnout in Macedonia election

MACEDONIANS voted yesterday for a successor to president Boris Trajkovski, killed in a plane crash in February, with the incumbent prime minister tipped to win despite his poor economic record.

However, barely one in four registered voters had cast their ballots three hours before polling stations closed, all but ensuring a run-off vote in two weeks. A 50% turnout is required.

With European integration high on the agenda, the nearly 1.7 million voters must decide between four candidates two each from the country's Orthodox Macedonian majority and its Albanian minority.