The Serbian authorities have announced plans to call an early general election.

The news was published by the independent news agency, Beta, quoting a senior figure in President Milosevic's governing Socialist Party.

The Serbian parliament is expected to meet next month to set a date which is likely to be in November.

A BBC Correspondent in Belgrade says the move is meant to catch the opposition divided and unprepared and to defuse an anti-government protest in the capital, Belgrade, tomorrow. More than twenty-thousand people took part in another opposition rally today in the southern city of Nis. Our correspondent says the international community could also be embarrassed as it will have to decide if Kosovo should be included in the election. She says the announcement comes two days after a meeting between President Milosevic and the maverick opposition leader, Vuk Draskovic, and has fuelled speculation that they have done a deal which involved Mr Draskovic staying away from tomorrow's rally.