INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CRITICISES KOSTUNICA'S PARTY

SARAJEVO, Sept 12 (Hina) - Senior officials of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday condemned statements by officials of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), led by Vojislav Kostunica, which bring into question territorial integrity and Bosnia's wholeness. #L# Spokesman for the Office of the High Representative Julian Braithwaite told reporters in Sarajevo that the heads of all international organisations in Bosnia had harshly condemned the statement by DSS vice president Dragan Marsicanin who said it that aspirations for the unification of the Republika Srpska and Serbia were logical. Mariscanin said in Belgrade that a possible unification of Serbia and the Republika Srpska would depend on the development of events and balance of forces in the future. This is the worst possible form of a cheap electoral propaganda which directly contradicts the Yugoslav government policy and international agreements Yugoslavia had adopted, Braithwaite said. International community senior officials also referred to the statement that Yugoslav President Kostunica gave during his last visit to Sarajevo when he confirmed his country's devotion to Bosnia's territorial integrity. Mariscanin's comment, however, took place after stormy reactions on a statement Kostunica gave early this week during his visit to Mali Zvornik. During the visit, which was a part of his electoral campaign, Kostunica said the Republika Srpska was "temporarily separated from Serbia". His statement has provoked stormy reactions of almost all political parties in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The president of the Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Haris Silajdjic, said this was "a step before announcing a war". Officials of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina avoided to directly condemn Kostunica. The spokesman for the High Representative said he expected Kostunica to clarify his standpoint on the issue upon his return from New York. (hina) it