PUPOVAC INSISTS ON CONDEMNATION OF ARSON ATTACKS

ZAGREB, Feb 11 (Hina) - A parliamentary deputy of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), Milorad Pupovac, has said that the recent arson attack against the house of an ethnic Serb refugee in the village of Biljani Donji "is the continuation of a policy of criminal activities aimed at halting the return process", and asked Croatia's Premier, relevant ministers and all parliamentary parties to "clearly condemn this act".#L# Pupovac said on Wednesday that the recent case of the deliberate devastation of the property of a returnee "poses the question whether the state policy is functioning throughout the country or only at press conferences and meetings in the Banski Dvori (the government's building)". If the answer is the latter, the SDSS will not be able to give support to this sort of the state policy," the ethnic Serb leader said. The latest incident in Biljani Donji is the third case of setting fire to local Serb returnees' houses in Zadar County in the last 12 months. Pupovac also commented on Monday's meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and representatives of the Association of (Croat) Returnees, who discussed plans for amending the law on areas of special state concern. I hope that this was not the continuation of the usual practice that talks on this issue are held only with representatives of one group of the interested in the return, excluding returnees of the Serb ethnic background or Croat refugees from other parts of the former Socialist Yugoslavia, Pupovac said adding that local councillors should be included in the discussions of this sort. According to Pupovac, an agreement which the SDSS signed with Sanader when he was the Prime Minister Designate is being implemented very slowly. He said he would notify Sanader of this at their meeting on Friday. (Hina) ms sb