71.   Three other seats on the autonomy council will be reserved for minority Christians in east Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah.

72.   Yoel Singer, head of the Israeli delegation, told reporters the two sides would begin drafting an agreement on organising the elections to a Palestinian autonomy council.

73.   Under the PLO-Israeli Declaration of Principles elections to an autonomy council were originally set for July.

74.   It will involve in Israeli troop redeployment outside Arab areas on the West Bank, the transfer of civilian powers and elections to an autonomy council.

75.   Israel and the PLO were also to discuss the powers of the autonomy council before talks end Wednesday.

76.   Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were holding the second day of talks in Cairo on elections to an autonomy council and the powers and make-up of the body.

77.   Meanwhile, in Cairo Israeli and Palestinian officials resumed negotiations on elections to an autonomy council and the powers and make-up of the body.

78.   Moscow also plans to send observers to forthcoming elections to an autonomy council, due to replace the Palestinian Authority running self-rule in Gaza and Jericho.

79.   Negotiations between the two sides on an Israeli redeployment on the West Bank and delayed elections to a Palestinian autonomy council have made little progress for several months.

80.   Negotiations on the redeployment of troops outside built-up Palestinian areas on the West Bank and on elections to an autonomy council are to start in due weeks.