SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A leaked draft of the GNWT's devolution agreement with the federal government has recently caused a bit of a stir in local media, but Premier Floyd Roland says the territory still has to wait another couple of years, at least, before both parties reach a final agreement.

Last week CBC News reported it obtained a confidential copy of the current agreement in principle, which has been a working document for several years. Roland said the GNWT recently picked up devolution negotiations off "the backburner" and moved forward with the agreement in principle that members of the 15th legislative assembly had initialled. Copies of the proposed agreement, drafted by federal and territorial chief negotiators, have been mailed to representatives in both governments and aboriginal leaders.

"The work now is we have to await the response of the letters that have gone out. For one, we're waiting to see where the aboriginal groups come in on this matter. We will continue to do our work looking at that draft and we'll have to make a decision as an assembly in the near future," Roland said, adding that both the GNWT and Ottawa may decide to tweak the agreement in the meantime.

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