Yugoslav President Denounces UN Plans for Autonomy in KosovoYugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica Wednesday denounced a constitutional draft which provides a large measure of autonomy for Kosovo, and warned it could lead to the independence of the province.Kostunica said that the draft, unveiled by Kosovo's UN. administrator Hans Haekkerup on May 15, enables Kosovo to have independent constitutional and judicial systems that will make Kosovo more like a nation not a province. According to the draft, Kosovo will establish a legislative assembly after the election set for November 17, followed by the appointment of a president and a prime minister and ultimately a government. The new assembly will have 120 seats, among which 100 seats will belong to ethnic Albanians and the other 20 will be set aside for Serbs and other minorities. The future Kosovo government will have neither a national defense department nor a foreign affairs department. The U.N. will still handle the justice and security of the province. Both Belgrade officials and Kosovo Serb leaders rejected the legal framework, saying it could not protect the rights and interests of all Kosovo peoples. If the international community want the election to be held on schedule, they should help all refugees return to their homes and ensure the safety of all ethnic communities, said Yugoslav leaders. More than 200,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians have fled Kosovo, since the NATO-led peacekeepers (KFOR) arrived in the province in June 1999, according to estimates by international aid agencies. |
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