Israeli Prime Minister Arial Sharon on Sunday rejected again a compromise proposal for a referendum on his disengagement plan.

Education Minister Limor Livnat proposed on Sunday that Sharon agree to an unwanted national referendum on the plan to withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank, on condition that the involved settlers would abide by the results of the poll.

Livnat suggested that if the settles agree to abide by the results of the poll, Sharon would bring the disengagement to the Knesset (parliament) for approval on Oct. 25 as planned, but the resolution would condition its implementation on the plan passing a referendum.

But Sharon is opposed to a nationwide referendum on the plan, Sharon's spokesman said after he met with Livnat to discuss the proposal.

"He (Sharon) heard Limor Livnat's proposal and he is still determined not to hold a referendum," said prime minister's spokesman Asaf Shariv.

Sharon explained his objection by saying that the referendum would mean that other referenda on a variety of issues have to be held, such as the right of return for Jews and the status of Jerusalem.

Sharon later met with leaders of the settlement movement. The leaders also demanded that the prime minister bring the disengagement plan before the public -- either in the form of a referendum or by calling new elections.

Settler leaders argued that the likelihood of soldiers refusing orders to evacuate settlements would be greatly diminished if the disengagement were approved by a referendum, thereby granting it unquestioned public legitimacy. That is potentially an important issue, as the idea of refusal is gaining ground among the religious public.

The leaders said after the meeting that Sharon absolutely rejected their plan and called the meeting a "disgrace."

Livnat was not the first one raising up the idea of a referendum. Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed a similar plan several days ago.

In Netanyahu's view, the referendum should be held in an accelerated manner, with the run-up to the voting taking no longer than six weeks.

Sharon responded Netanyahu's plan by saying that the idea was not an option. Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the proposal was a dishonorable attempt to adversely affect the disengagement plan timetable.

According to Olmert, such a move necessitates months of preparation, and would result in the postponement of the original timetable.