BELGRADE. July 6: The Yugoslav parliament started a special session today to discuss constitutional changes that would allow President Slobodan Milosevic to seek a new term in 2001, reports AFP.

Both chambers of parliament -- the lower House of Citizens and upper House of the Republics -- started meeting shortly after 1 1:15 a.m. (1515 BST) to discuss the proposal.

The changes allowing a di -rect election of the president was submitted by deputies of Milosevic's Socialist party, the Yugoslav Left party of his wife Mira Markovic, the Serbian Radical party of hardline nationalist Vojislav Seselj and by pro-Belgrade Montenegrin parties.

Parliament sources said the deputies, most of them Milosevic's allies, were expected to adopt the proposal

Currently there is an election in parliament for a non-renewable four-year term. Milosevic, who was elected president in 1997 after a long term as Serbian president, is due to leave office in July 2001

The amendment has drawn strong protests from the Serbian opposition as well as reformist politicians in Montenegro.

Two other changes propose the selection of upper house deputies by a national vote rather than by the Serbian and Montenegrin parliaments, and parliamentary discussion of the appointment of ministers.

The main pro-government newspaper Politlka took the adoption of the reforms for granted Thursday. It’s frontpage headline read: "Citizens tn elect the president and deputies directly.'