Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Macedonia Wrestles With Proposal By ELENA BECATOROS .c The Associated Press SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Amid growing tension between government forces and ethnic Albanians, Macedonia's parliament is wrestling with another potential problem - a proposal to put the country's Western-backed peace plan to a vote. The plan commits parliament to constitutional reforms granting ethnic Albanians more rights, in exchange for ethnic Albanian rebels surrendering weapons to NATO troops. But it could unravel if put to a referendum because many of the majority Macedonian electorate are opposed to concessions to the ethnic Albanian minority. The referendum proposal, brought by the small New Democracy party, needs a simple majority of 61 votes in the 120-seat parliament to pass. After an initial day of debate, parliament was scheduled to continue its session Tuesday. Tension and sporadic violence in villages near Tetovo also pose a threat to the peace plan. In a statement carried by the state-run news agency MIA, the interior ministry - responsible for police - said rebels had blockaded roads around the ethnically mixed village of Semsevo. Armed ethnic Albanians in civilian clothes were seen manning a roadblock at an entrance to Semsevo. Villagers said they had set up the checkpoint out of fear Macedonian forces would move into the village. The blockades appeared the day after Macedonian police in the neighboring village of Zilce exchanged fire with groups in Semsevo. Macedonian police officials blamed rebels. But NATO said its intelligence showed police fired first, and that most of the firing, including the use of heavy weapons, was from the Macedonian side. Top ethnic Albanian leader Arben Xhaferi blamed Macedonian paramilitary units for the outbreak. ``We don't know to whom they answer,'' he said. ``It is a dangerous game.'' Presidential adviser Nikola Dimitrov said the National Security Council - consisting of the president, prime minister, top Cabinet ministers and senior security officials - would recommend that police in the region be replaced by army units. But the interior ministry appeared unwilling to back down. It threatened to ``take necessary measures'' if NATO and international monitors did not remove the blockade, MIA said. NATO officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alliance's mandate did not extend to such activities. NATO troops are in Macedonia on a 30-day mission ending Sept. 26 to collect weapons voluntarily handed over by ethnic Albanian rebels. More than two-thirds of the rebels' 3,300 weapons to be collected already have been gathered. Parliament must now discuss the constitutional amendments before the alliance can complete the arms collection. AP-NY-09-18-01 0553EDT ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
