ALBANIAN LEADER PROPOSES SOLUTION TO KOSOVO CRISIS

BELGRADE, Jan 10 (Hina) - The Coordinator of Kosovo Albanian negotiators, Fehmi Agani, said the latest Albanian proposal for the resolution of the Kosovo crisis included the conduct of a referendum on the status of Kosovo. The referendum should be held after the expiry of a transitional period, which may take three or five years. In his interview to the Jagodina television, broadcast on Saturday night, Agani described the Albanian proposal as a comprehensive project adding that the stand on the referendum was a reason why the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) would not reject the proposal. Agani held that a new census, on which the Serbian side insisted, was not necessary, as authorities of the Kosovo Albanians had lists of citizens eligible to vote. That list was drawn up ahead of the parallel elections in this conflict-ridden Yugoslav province. Agani added that Serb also had lists of voters who went to the polls for the Serbian parliament. The data could be checked by joint commissions along with international monitors, he suggested. He added that he also welcomed an idea to conduct a census provided that six month before the census would be ensured for the return of refugees to their homes. He stressed that armed conflicts were not a solution and that both parties should be aware of it. Agani reiterated that the KLA had to take part in negotiations, since talks should include all those who were a part of the Kosovo political life. He maintained that the negotiating positions of the Serbian and Albanian sides were "strongly opposed", and predicted that negotiations would be blocked unless some changes happened. (hina) ms