NEGOTIATIONS ON CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR KOSOVO FAIL

PRISTINA, May 5 (Hina) - Representatives of ethnic Kosovo Albanians and the international community failed to agree in Pristina on Saturday on the draft of Kosovo's highest legal document in the future, in which the Albanians want to incorporate the people's right to hold a referendum on self-declaration. The spokeswoman of the United Nations Mission in the southern Yugoslav province, Susan Manuel, said after the three-hour session the UN's civil administrator in Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup, would travel to New York and discuss the document with the Security Council and Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The three leading Albanian politicians, Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim Thaqi, and Ramush Hardinaj insist that the future document, which should pave the way for general elections in Kosovo by year's end, insist that it include provisions on the people's right to a referendum. The latest talks on the document stalled on several Albanian demands, namely that it be called a constitution, that Kosovo get a president, and the aforementioned referendum right. In the last three days, the Serbs boycotted the talks saying the document was contrary to the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which envisages extensive autonomy for Kosovo within Yugoslavia. (hina) ha