Macedonian parliament debates peace referendum

The Macedonian parliament is debating whether to hold a referendum on the peace deal designed to end fighting between ethnic Albanian guerrillas and the Macedonian security forces.

With elections due early next year, many ethnic-Macedonian deputies have been reluctant to be seen as giving concessions to the Albanians.

Some of them maintain a referendum should be held before changes are made to the constitution granting ethnic Albanians greater rights.

Western diplomats who helped negotiate the accord fear a referendum could derail the deal.

A BBC correspondent in Skopje says the referendum proposal is unlikely to get sufficient parliamentary support.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service