But they are at the same time denying that's an option they are discussing at this point.

After Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership announced they would on Feb. 17 adopt an assembly declaration on intent to unilaterally declare the province's independence, Serbia's top officials say the country has a range of diplomatic and legal measures prepared to counter this.

One of the moves Belgrade could take is to introduce a state of emergency, but the ruling Democrats (DS) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) are at this point denying this is a subject of thier discussion.

The largest opposition party, the Serb Radicals (SRS), however, say they would back such a decision.

Serbia's new constitution says that a state of emergency can be declared by the parliament, in a vote that gains the support of a majority of MPs.

The Serbian leadership is in agreement that any declaration of Kosovo's independence will be met with a number of as yet undisclosed steps contained in the government's Action Plan.

What has been revealed is that Serbia would immediately declare such Kosovo Albanians' proclamations null and void, and call for an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

President Boris Tadić also announced that Belgrade will start legal proceedings against those countries that might recognize Kosovo's independence.

But Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac said today a state of emergency would not work in favor of the citizens, in Serbia proper or in the province itself.

"That would be one desperate attempt to muddy the waters so that those who swim in muddy water the best can once again take the stage," he believes.

Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić said in a B92 TV talk show late Sunday that although attempts to take away a part of a country's territory constitute for special circumstances, the state of emergency announcements were "merely media speculation".

His party, the DSS, today echoed this in a news conference in Belgrade.

The Radicals' deputy president, Tomislav Nikolić, however, says that the lawmakers from the ranks of his party "would be prepared to enable for the introduction of a state of emergency", should Kosovo declare independence.

"Serbia cannot be in a normal state when its territory is being snatched," he told Večernje Novosti daily, but added that he was "not sure that this state of emergency would be different from that under Nataša Mićić and Zoran Živković when many were brutally beaten and sent to jail for no reason."

Nikolić was referring to the period in the wake of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić's assassination in the spring of 2003.

Former Constitutional Court President Slobodan Vučetić told B92 today that in his opinion, there was no majority within the government to send such a proposal to the parliament for adoption.

"Besides, he added, "a state of emergency would change nothing, since Serbia does not have authority over Kosovo since 1999."

In Serbia, a state of emergency can last for a maximum of six months.