BY TRACI CARL
 Associated Press

 MEXICO CITY -- In a last-minute compromise effort to salvage peace in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico's Congress on Thursday voted to allow Zapatista rebels to
 speak before at least 100 representatives in their efforts to pass an Indian rights bill.

 The legislators voted 220-210 in favor of the measure, which specifically requires at least 100 members of Congress to be present in the informal joint session when the
 rebels speak. It also permits any other representatives of the 628-member body to attend.

 The vote was taken as the rebels held a rally outside the Congress building pledging in various speeches to continue their fight for Indian rights.

 Rebel leader Subcommander Marcos said the Zapatistas would carefully consider the proposal and issue a response later Thursday.

 Until now, the Zapatistas had been demanding the ear of the full Congress, calling earlier offers to speak to a group of at least 20 legislators humiliating.

 Following a two-week caravan to Mexico City, the 24 Zapatista leaders had pledged to stay in the capital until the Indian rights bill was approved. But early this week,
 angry that Congress refused to let them speak from the podium of its chambers, they announced they would leave.

 Also Thursday, the rebels issued a new rejection of President Vicente Fox's invitation to meet with them personally, saying he had not yet met their conditions to reopen
 talks with the government. Fox insisted the conditions had been met.

 ``We have the desire for true dialogue and to reach a rapid peace,'' masked rebel Commander Zebedeo told a news conference at the Zapatistas' temporary quarters in the
 capital. He stressed willingness to start talks once conditions are met.

 Fox has tried to lure the rebels back to long-stalled negotiations, closing four bases and announcing Wednesday he would turn three others into Indian community centers
 -- although troops remained there Wednesday.

 Only a few Zapatista sympathizers reportedly remain jailed after dozens were freed in amnesties, and Fox himself proposed the rebel-backed rights bill to Congress.

 Late Wednesday, his peace envoy, Luis H. Alvarez, gave the Zapatistas a letter from Fox asking for a meeting.

 But Zebedeo complained that the last three bases were still open and that some sympathizers remained in jail. Congress has yet to act on the chief demand, passage of
 the Indian rights bill.

 ``You know that for many years we have been tricked with false promises,'' Zebedeo said. ``So we do not trust in words, but in deeds.''

 At an appearance Thursday in Los Angeles, Fox said that he had met all the Zapatistas' demands and called again for a meeting with the chief rebel spokesman, Marcos.

 The Zapatistas left their jungle stronghold on Feb. 24, launching a 15-day march for ``peace, liberty and justice'' for all of Mexico's Indians. After drawing nearly 100,000
 people to a Mexico City rally on March 11, they camped at the National School of Anthropology and History.

                                    © 2001