Macedonia's parliament ratified a milestone peace accord with minority Albanians in a surprise early-morning vote today.
The vote follows almost two months of delay.
The MPs proclaimed the 15 constitutional amendments as law with unexpected speed just 20 minutes after adopting them all by two-thirds majorities.
Hardline nationalists had almost wrecked the peace accord days before, when the police minister sent special forces into the rebel Albanian heartland, leading to fighting, arrests and retaliatory kidnappings.
The reforms would decentralise power and grant Albanians jobs in public service - above all the police - reflecting their one-third share of the population.
They would also allow limited official use of the Albanian language and remove references in the constitution's preamble suggesting that minorities are second-class citizens.
Ethnic Albanian rebels surrendered almost 4,000 weapons to NATO and disbanded in September to uphold their end of the peace pact.
But nationalists protesting this "sellout to terrorists" tied parliament in knots for six weeks, rekindling tensions. A crucial amnesty for demobilised rebels has yet to be issued.