US and Croatian troops began a four-day exercise in the southern Adriatic yesterday as the West anxiously awaited the outcome of elections in Yugoslavia.
US embassy officials said the Adriatic manoeuvres, spearheaded by the helicopter-carrying transport vessel USS Austin, included 400 US sailors and 200 Marines. An amphibious landing with war-games ashore and live firing will take place near the town of Sibenik. Croatia will provide two warships, air cover and 300 soldiers of the 4th Guard Brigade.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said yesterday it had 15 warships in the Mediterranean, including helicopter and aircraft carriers, but denied their presence was intended as a warning to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
Meanwhile yesterday, Macedonia's reformist government coalition claimed victory in important local elections which international observers said had fallen short of democratic norms. The Socialist opposition claimed a moral victory, saying it had won most big cities including the capital Skopje.
Official results will be published later this week but a spokesman for the government coalition said that out of 124 contested mayoral places, 55 went to two coalition parties, VMRODPMNE and DA. Both represent mostly ethnic Macedonians.
The third member of the government coalition, the ethnic Albanian DPA which ran separately, said it had 22 wins.
This compared with 35 mayoral contests which the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia of former communists said it had won.
In a setback to aspirations by Macedonia to join a democratic Europe, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said the poll was flawed, though the second round on Sunday was more orderly.
The OSCE observer mission said the first round on September 10th was marred in western Macedonia, populated by ethnic Albanians, by proxy voting, ballot stuffing and violence.