Opposition vows to keep protesting until Macedonian Prime Minister Gruevski resigns

Macedonia's opposition has vowed to continue street protests after 20,000 people marched through the capital, Skopje, demanding that the country's embattled Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski step down.

With the small Balkan country divided by a deep political crisis - and still in shock after last weekend's battle with ethnic Albanian gunmen in which 18 died - Gruevski's supporters were planning to march yesterday after Sunday's big show of force by the opposition.

"We will stay here in front of the government. Nikola Gruevski must resign," the leader of the main opposition SDSM party Zoran Zaev told the crowds in front of the government's neo-classical offices on Sunday.

"Until he goes we are not going to leave either," he said. Gruevski - who only months ago seemed to have an unshakable grip on power - is under much pressure to assemble as many supporters for his rally in the capital as possible.

Waving Macedonian and Albanian flags, opposition protesters chanted "Resignation!" and "Victory! Victory!" The rival demonstrations come after a year-long stand-off between Gruevski and his centre-left opponents that has greatly divided the multi-ethnic country of two million people.

"Join us, for you, for your children, for free and prosperous Macedonia," Zaev urged the protesters, calling the political crisis "one of the most severe since Macedonia's independence".