pollies gearing up. self rule. u

Parliament's fall session will be influenced by a referendum on Self-rule

Greenland's 31 members of parliament are counting the days until the autumn session begins. The two-month session convenes on 19 September and is expected to last until 25 November.

Parliament, officially known as the Landsting, is scheduled to make decisions on 127 bills. It is expected to suspend debate for the day on 25 November, when the nation goes to the polls to vote on the Self-rule Agreement, which would give the territory more autonomy from the Danish state.

Also on the docket for the session is a debate over whether to maintain a ban on uranium mining and a discussion of whether to build several hydroelectric dams to power a planned Alcoa aluminium smelter.

The uranium debate stems from a ban on mining the metal passed by Greenlandic and Danish parliaments over two decades ago. The question has arisen after a number of mining companies requested permission to extract uranium obtained during the mining of other types of metals.

Parliament's timetable for approving the hydroelectric dams has been delayed, and is it expected that a final vote will not be called until 2010. If it passes, construction would begin in 2015.

Despite the delays, Alcoa does not expect it to slow construction of the Maniitsoq smelter, a company spokesperson said.