FINAL DECISION ON UNITED MOSTAR TO BE MADE IN JANUARY

SARAJEVO, Dec 17 (Hina) - The current organisation of Mostar, which is divided on the ethnic basis, is unacceptable and this must be changed if Bosnia-Herzegovina wants to continue the process of drawing closer to the European Union (EU), the international community's Deputy High Representative to Bosnia, Werner Wnendt, said in Sarajevo on Wednesday. #L# The German diplomat told a news conference that High Representative Paddy Ashdown would make a final decision on the future organisation of this southern city in January, after the commission in charge of Mostar's new organisation failed to reach consensus on the matter. Officials for the (Muslim) Party of Democratic Action (SDA) insist that Mostar should continue to function as a city with six municipalities, namely three under the control of Croats and another three under the Muslims control. They have said any other solution will lead to the dominance of Croats, as they make up a majority of the city's population. The Office of the High Representative, however, strongly opposes the further division of the city into the Croat-dominated West Mostar and the Muslim-dominated East Mostar. International diplomats say the current administration is overstaffed, expensive and inefficient. "What is only completely unacceptable is status quo," Wnendt said. (hina) ms