INFORMATION CAMPAIGN FOR RETURNEES STARTS IN A MONTH

ZAGREB, May 30 (Hina) - Pursuant to a government decision on ways to solve property restitution and compensation for lost tenancy rights for Croatian Serb returnees, a campaign will start in a month to inform returnees about where and how to apply for housing, Deputy Public Works, Reconstruction and Construction Minister Filko Cezner said Friday. #L# Vice-Premier Goran Granic told a Croatian Television programme last night that the real number of people to whom the government decision would apply would be known after applications were submitted. For now it is known that around 16,000 people wish to return to Croatia, he said. According to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 24,000 people have lost tenancy rights, while the Croatian Helsinki Committee on Human Rights mentions 10,000. "The legal institute of tenancy rights will not be reinstated and the issue of compensation is very disputable considering the fact that this is not a question of ownership," Cezner said. One can only speak about housing for returnees, former tenancy rights holders, who wish to return to Croatia, he said. The condition for their being provided with housing is that they own no property either in Croatia or any state of the ex-Yugoslavia, he added. The implementation model implies that Serb returnees be leased flats or given the possibility to purchase them through the government-subsidised housing programme under equal conditions as all citizens, i.e. to purchase flats with long-term payment. Applications will most probably be submitted to the ministry's administration for refugees, returnees and displaced persons. The deadline for submitting applications is presumed to be one year. The entire programme should be completed in four years, Cezner said. According to unofficial information, the international community has not significantly criticised the model. (hina) lml sb