  We study level correlations in a two-dimensional system with a long-range
random potential and strong spin-orbit (SO) splitting of the spectrum. The
level correlations for sufficiently large splitting are shown to be described
by orthogonal Wigner-Dyson statistics, in contrast to the common point of view
that a system with the strong SO coupling belongs to the symplectic statistical
ensemble. We demonstrate also that in a wide energy interval the level
statistics is completely determined by transitions between two branches of the
split spectrum. A sharp resonance is obtained in the two-level correlation
function at energy equal to the value of SO splitting.
