BY JAY WEAVER

 The U.S. government and a team of local lawyers still seem far apart in their letter-writing
 negotiations to bring about a family reunion between Elian Gonzalez, his Cuban father and
 the boy's Miami relatives.

 The Department of Justice wants its mental-health experts to meet with the child's
 Miami relatives first before allowing them to see the 6-year-old with his father Juan Miguel
 Gonzalez, who are now staying at a private residence in Maryland.

 But lawyers for Elian's great-uncle Lazaro Gonzalez said Thursday in a letter to the Justice
 Department that such a screening process by the government-hired trio of psychiatrists was
 unacceptable.

 ``It is obvious that your present panel of paid consultants will prejudice any interaction involving
 Elian's American relatives,'' Miami attorney Manuel Diaz wrote. ``For obvious reasons, that is
 neither productive nor acceptable.''

 Instead, Diaz proposed that the government follow a previous plan for a Gonzalez
 ``family reunification'' that was considered the day before federal agents raided the
 great-uncle's Little Havana home to grab Elian so he could be reunited with his
 father nearly a month ago.

 The Miami relatives wanted Elian's father to live with them in a temporary
 residence with no government officials and lawyers in the picture. And they
 wanted ``facilitators'' -- probably a psychologist and a priest picked by a panel of
 local civic leaders and Attorney General Janet Reno -- to help the families ``get
 together.''

 ``These facilitators could provide the same services in relation to working out any
 issues which may exist between Juan Miguel and his Miami relatives prior to the
 Miami family's meeting with Elian,'' Diaz wrote.

 An Immigration and Naturalization Service official said the counteroffer was
 unacceptable.

 ``Our offer is a good-faith effort that, according to our experts, would be the best
 way to approach a meeting between Elian and the Miami relatives,'' INS
 spokeswoman Maria Cardona said.

 ``It's our hope that they will avail themselves of that opportunity. It would be a
 shame if they don't.''

 Elian's fate is now in the hands of a federal appeals court, which will soon decide
 whether the government should grant the child a political asylum hearing.