SERB ASSOCIATION: HDZ VICTORY WON'T AFFECT PROPERTY RESTITUTION

BELGRADE, Nov 28 (Hina) - The victory of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) at parliamentary elections in Croatia will not significantly affect the restitution of the property of Serb refugees living outside Croatia, the head of the Association of Serbs from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Branislav Svonja, said in an interview with Friday's issue of the Novi Sad-based "Dnevnik" daily. #L# "The Serbs are certainly not thrilled with the HDZ's victory, but they also have no reason to be dissatisfied, because the previous Croatian government had not done anything to solve this problem," Svonja said. The few cases of property restitution were solved only thanks to pressure by the international community. "We expect this pressure to increase after the latest elections and the attention of the European public to focus on the Croatian Serb issue. We hope that the process of settling the problem of the return of Serb refugees and the restitution of their property will start eventually," Svonja said. He added that property repossession and housing reconstruction would take another 100 years if they continued at the current pace. More than 40,000 Serbs were denied their tenancy rights, and we want to be allowed to buy socially-owned flats under the same conditions as all other Croatian citizens, Svonja said. (hina) rml