HIGH REPRESENTATIVE IMPOSES NEW MOSTAR CITY STATUTE

MOSTAR, Jan 28(Hina) - The international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, on Wednesday imposed a decision on the new statute of the southern city of Mostar abolishing the city's six districts (of which three had the majority Croat population and the other three the majority Muslim population), which he said prevented the domination of either ethnic group.#L# The new statute of Mostar is a permanent document and will go into force after municipal elections in the country, which are scheduled for October, Ashdown said at a news conference in Mostar on Wednesday. During ten-month negotiations on the reorganisation of Mostar, Muslim officials opposed the abolishment of the city's six districts, claiming that the existence of three districts with the Muslim majority guaranteed protection of their national interests. Ashdown explained that the six districts ceased to exist as political and administrative bodies and were transformed into six constituencies. Eighteen members of the future Mostar City Council will be elected from those six constituencies, while the remaining 17 councillors will be elected from a city roster. Ashdown said that there would be 15 Muslims and 15 Croats in the City Council at the most. Ashdown's solution on the ethnic composition of the city council differs from the proposal of Norbert Winterstein, chairman of a commission in charge of reorganising the city. Winterstein had proposed that the City Council have 31 members, which was rejected by Croat officials, who claimed that the proposal (now corrected by Ashdown) favoured less numerous Muslims and gave them better representation in the city government in relation to Croats. Ashdown said that his solution also envisaged at least four seats in the city council for Serbs, which he said would encourage the return of Serbs to the area. The High Representative said that his decision on the city's new statute was historic as well as a compromise solution. Measures will be taken against those who attempt to undermine the city's new organisation, especially if they are parties. Party leaders will be fully responsible for implementing the statute, Ashdown said. The implementation of the new statute will be monitored by the international community. Ashdown said that he had appointed his deputy, German diplomat Werner Wnendt, special envoy for Mostar. He also appointed a group of experts to implement the new statute, with British diplomat Richard Williams at its helm. (Hina) rml sb