The draft, approved by the ruling party Politburo, is expected to be discussed in the party central committees of the republics prior to the meeting of the 250-member national Central Committee next month in Moscow.

The document indicates the party leadership still favors a strong central government, despite its willingness to transfer certain powers to the republics.

The party suggests that such disputes be settled by the Constitutional Control Commission, a quasi Supreme Court that was created last year.

The party's call for a new law banning "nationalist and chauvinist organizations" could be targeted at pro-secession groups such as the Party of National Independence in Georgia, Russian strikers protesting a new language law in Estonia, or the mass-membership Estonian Popular Front, which supported the language law.

"We have nationalist groups in Latvia, but theterm is very broad," Irgens said. The effect ofthe party's proposed ban, he said, would depend onthe definition of nationalist.

The draft includes the promise to "give to therepublics all rights related to their status assovereign socialist states," and says they areempowered to solve problems except in those areaswhere they give control to the nationalgovernment