SARAJEVO: 20,000 PROTESTERS DEMAND BETTER SOCIAL RIGHTS

SARAJEVO, March 1 (Hina) - More than 20,000 war military invalids, veterans and family members of deceased Bosnian army soldiers on Friday gathered in the centre of Sarajevo to protest against the announced decrease of disability benefits and other forms of social support. The protest, held in front of headquarters of joint bodies of Bosnian authorities, was organised by several Bosniak associations of war victims and members of their families. The highest Bosniak officials of Bosnia and the Bosnian Federation, including chairman of the Bosnian Presidency, Beriz Belkic, and chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zlatko Lugumdzija, tried to explain the authorities' standpoints regarding the status of war victims, but were prevented by numerous shouts of disapproval and insults. This caused federal Premier Alija Behmen to accuse a group of the most aggressive protesters of politicising the protest, stressing their acts obviously had nothing to do with social problems. Stones were being thrown towards the stage where the officials stood. The World Bank warned the government of the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina earlier that giving in to unrealistic requests by associations of war victims would have very serious consequences on further financial support of the international community to other projects of the federal authorities. (hina) np sb