Macedonia's parliament yesterday voted with a large majority to approve a government of national unity set up to oppose a rebellion by ethnic Albanian guerrillas.
"Our state is in danger, so all of us should be united," the Prime Minister, Mr Ljubco Georgievski, said, unveiling a government which includes ministers from both Macedonia's Slav majority and ethnic Albanian minority.
Out of 109 MPs present, 104 voted to back the government, four abstained and only one voted against. Some 11 MPs were absent from the session in the single chamber assembly.
The vote came after a delay caused when an ethnic Albanian party asked for a recess to discuss Mr Georgievski's opening speech, objecting to its "warlike language", according to one MP.
The self-styled National Liberation Army claims it is fighting to promote the rights of Macedonia's ethnic Albanians but Georgievski and his government have said they are "terrorists" based in Kosovo.