Macedonia Shaken by Violence in Parliament

Police moved in to restore order late Thursday after protesters supporting the former ruling VMRO DPMNE party stormed parliament, injuring at least four MPs.

The protesters forced their way in to the legislature after the former opposition led by the Social Democrats, SDSM, elected a parliamentary speaker in a bid to form a government.

Medical authorities reported that at least nine people were injured.

At least four MPs, all from the new parliamentary majority, including the SDSM leader Zoran Zaev and the head of the DPA- Movement for reforms, Zijadin Sela, were confirmed to have been injured and received medical treatment.

There was a heavy police presence into the night in Skopje's central area as several hundred protesters stayed in front of the parliament building, although the situation remained calm.

The violence began just after 6pm local time when a majority of 67 MPs in the 120-seat parliament elected the new parliament speaker, Talat Xhaferi - the next step towards the establishment of the new opposition-led coalition government.

"Dear citizens, my country, I congratulate you on the election of the new parliament speaker and God speed to all of us," SDSM leader Zoran Zaev told a press conference inside parliament, immediately before the former ruling VMRO DPMNE activists stormed the building.

The VMRO DPMNE party, which has been trying to avoid losing power by preventing the election of a new speaker for the past month, complained that the move was unlawful and called it an "attempted coup".

All through the evening, increasing numbers of protesters started entering parliament - facing little opposition from the police stationed there.

For a couple of hours, the protesters, some...