(ANSA-AP) - SKOPJE, SEPTEMBER, 30 - A referendum on changing the nation of Macedonia's name to North Macedonia to pave the way for NATO membership attracted tepid voter participation Sunday, a blow to the prime minister's hopes for a strong message of support. Election officials reported that at 6:30 p.m., half an hour before poll-closing time, the turnout stood at 34 percent. The figure was based on data from 85 percent of polling stations, State Electoral Commission head Oliver Derkoski said. The deal's opponents had urged voters to boycott Sunday's referendum. They started celebrating while balloting still was underway, chanting slogans outside Parliament in central Skopje. The referendum asked Macedonians whether they supported the name change and other terms of their government's deal with Greece, which is intended to end a dispute dating from Macedonia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Greece, arguing that its small neighbor's name implied territorial ambitions on its own Macedonia province, has blocked the country's efforts to join NATO. The deal would also enable Macedonia to seek membership in the European Union. But the agreement has faced vocal opposition on both sides of the border, with detractors accusing their respective governments of conceding too much to the other side. A strong vote in favor of the deal with Greece and high voter turnout would help Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who negotiated the deal with Greece, to persuade lawmakers to vote on constitutional changes needed for it to become final. (ANSA-AP).