Macedonian parliament backs peace plan

Macedonian politicians vote for peace accord

SKOPJE, Macedonia (CNN) -- Macedonia's parliament has voted to back the overall framework of the peace process between the government and ethic Albanian rebels.

The framework includes plans to consider reforms that would upgrade the status of the country's ethnic Albanian minority.

The 91 to 19 vote also paved the way for the second phase of the arms handover by the rebels to NATO troops.

There were also two abstentions in the vote, conducted by the 120-member parliament after five days of bickering over the matter. Only 80 votes were needed for passage of the measure.

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The vote means that parliament will begin debating more than 30 amendments that make changes in the country's constitution that would improve the lot of the ethnic Albanians, a third of the nation's 2 million people.

The debate will begin as the second phase of the weapons handover proceeds.

Under the peace agreement, brokered last month by American and European mediators, ethnic Albanians would receive greater political autonomy and authority to use Albanian as the official language in some areas.

Also proposed is a greater representation of the Albanians in local police forces.

Journalist Juliette Terzieff tells CNN the vote is considered the easiest of hurdles in the peace process.

Many Macedonian Slav politicians fiercely oppose the deal. They say the agreement is capitulation to the rebels, who fought the government for six-months beginning in February before the peace plan was signed last month.

They say these proposed changes are being made at gunpoint, rewarding aggression and sending out a message to terrorist groups that violence pays.

Parliamentary speaker Stojan Andov had suspended debate on Saturday, insisting the president guarantee the safe return home of an estimated 120,000 people, before he allowed the debate to be resumed on Sunday.

At one stage NATO officials became so frustrated with the delay they questioned future deployment in the country if the stalemate persisted.