Skopje - Macedonia's main moderate party walked out on the shaky "national unity" government yesterday complicating Western-sponsored efforts to implement a peace accord with minority Albanian guerrillas.
Nationalists, who stand to consolidate power after the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia's (SDSM's) exit, began excavating a site said to contain Macedonians executed by Albanians, stirring new confrontation with the disbanded rebels.
A police swoop to seize the alleged mass grave, which may contain up to 13 Macedonians, caused fighting 10 days ago.
Yesterday human remains, believed to be those of six Macedonian civilians killed during a six-month ethnic Albanian rebellion, were found in the grave in the north-west, police said.
Journalists were barred from the scene.
