SKOPJE (Islamweb & New Agencies) - Macedonia's parliament is set to resume debate on Wednesday on a Western-backed peace plan, moving closer to a vote on whether to start the process of changing the constitution in line with the blueprint.
Western diplomats had originally hoped the vote, seen as a crucial part of efforts to end an ethnic Albanian insurgency in the former Yugoslav republic, would be held on Tuesday.
But that timetable had been in doubt since the marathon debate, which began on Friday, was suspended over the weekend in a protest by parliament's nationalist speaker who accused the Albanian fighters of ``terrorizing'' Macedonian civilians.
The fighters have pledged to hand in their weapons and disband in return for the reforms foreseen in the peace plan which would grant more rights to the ethnic Albanian minority.
The Albanian have handed in more than 1,200 arms so far out of a target total of 3,300. But they have made clear they will surrender nothing more until parliament votes. (Read photo caption below)
Deputies met late into the night on Tuesday, adjourning their debate after 11 p.m. (5 p.m. EDT) and agreeing to reconvene 12 hours later. Around 20 members of parliament have said they still want to make speeches before the vote is held.
The Balkan state's two main parties have spent much of the debate blaming each other for the insurgency, which began in February. Scores of people have been killed and more than 100,000 have been displaced since then.
Many Macedonians are skeptical about the peace plan, doubting that the Albanians will really disarm and believing they are more interested in grabbing land than human rights.
``I would vote for the framework deal but is it the salvation of Macedonia? What's the guarantee that if we accept it, there will be no war?'' said Zarko Karajoski, a deputy for the nationalist VMRO-DPNME, the largest party in parliament.
``If I were convinced that the deal was a firm guarantee for peace, I would have no dilemma,'' said Karajoski, whose party appears split over the deal. The second biggest party, the Social Democrats, seems to be largely behind the package.
AMBIVALENT APPEAL FROM PREMIER
VMRO's leader, Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, reflected his own party's ambivalence when he blasted the peace plan on Monday but told deputies they should back it because Macedonia could not afford to defy its Western sponsors.
Western diplomats and analysts expect the 116-member parliament will vote to initiate constitutional change by the required two-thirds majority, although more pitfalls could lie ahead further on in the ratification process.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Ethnic Albanian soldiers of the National Liberation Army march through the village of Slupcane, Macedonia, Tuesday, Sept. 4 2001. The NLA troops are training in the northern Macedonian town, while the country's parliament is under intense international pressure to reform their constitution to allow greater rights for the ethnic Albanian population. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
- Sep 04 5:23 PM ET