U.S. PROPOSED TEMPORARY AGREEMENT FOR KOSOVO IS ONLY A DRAFT

( Editorial: --> 1409 ) SKOPJE/PRISTINA, Sept 18 (Hina) - A United States proposed temporary agreement for Kosovo, published in Thursday's issue of the Pristina daily "Koha Ditore", is only a model submitted for review to the Serbian and Albanian sides. Its purpose is to facilitate further negotiations, a US diplomatic source said in Skopje on Friday. The negotiation model was presented to both the Albanian and Serbian sides as a draft, open for both sides to input their comments or new ideas, the source said. Since the moment it was published in "Koha Ditore", the draft has been subject to certain amendments based on ideas submitted by both sides, the source told Hina in Skopje. The source confirmed that the text of the document published in the daily was the translation of the original, preliminary version of the draft. Leader of the largest Kosovo Albanian political party, Ibrahim Rugova, told reporters on Friday that Kosovo Albanians consented to the signing of the temporary agreement on the status of Kosovo. The US does not intend to draw up an agreement, but to facilitate the negotiation process, the source said. The American model of a temporary agreement for Kosovo, according to "Koha Ditore", was also quoted by a French news agency, and called this province in Yugoslavia a "territory" which should have its own government, parliament and courts, as well as its own "main representative". The "main representative" for Kosovo would be authorised to sign agreements on behalf of this province, and a special ombudsman would supervise the implementation of the signed documents. The ombudsman would be appointed by the Yugoslav government from a list of persons suggested by the international community. Kosovo, whose political status was not defined in the offered draft, would be represented by ten MPs in the Yugoslav Parliament. Kosovo would also have its representatives in the Serbian government and the Serbian and Yugoslav supreme courts. (hina) lml /mbr 181709 MET sep 98