VUKOVAR: FOR AND AGAINST JOINT KINDERGARTEN FOR CROATS AND SERBS

VUKOVAR, Jan 30 (Hina) - The Steering Committee of the Association of Croatian Returnees (ZPH) in Vukovar-Srijem County on Wednesday supported a decision by Vukovar town authorities on the joint attendance of Croat and Serb children of a kindergarten in Borovo Naselje. "In the past ten years, Vukovar has been mentioned as a town of conflicts, mass graves and crimes. We do not want to be famous for the bad things. The town wants a life", the committee said in a statement. At the end of last week, town authorities decided that the renewed central kindergarten in Borovo Naselje be jointly attended by children of Croat returnees and children of the Serb national minority. Even though in the same building, 75 children of Croat nationality and around 80 children of Serb nationality will still be separated from each other, and each group will use separate rooms in the kindergarten. This decision by town authorities has caused a conflict between coalition partners at the town government, the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The HSP objected to the HDZ alone making the decision on joint attendance of the kindergarten in Borovo Naselje. One of the first moves by dissatisfied members of the HSP was the irrevocable resignation by the Vukovar HSP branch president, Kresimir Colak. The HSP and a few Croat parents expressed dissatisfaction with the decision. Around 40 signed a petition requesting that the town authorities change the decision and organise a unified kindergarten in Croatian language with Vukovar children choosing whether to attend. (hina) np sb