SERBS CALL ON ALL TO CELEBRATE MUNICIPALITY DAY IN DVOR

DVOR, Sept 13 (Hina)- The president of the Serb National Council (SNV), Milorad Pupovac, and the president of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS), Vojislav Stanimirovic, in Dvor on Friday called on all parties to celebrate September 18 as Dvor Municipality Day and that municipal representatives jointly lay a wreath and light a candle to honour the victims of the Homeland War in the centre of Dvor. #L# Pupovac and Stanimirovic spoke with SDSS councillors and the Dvor Municipal Council and Assembly, Mayor Nikola Caric (an independent candidate), as well as representatives of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). Stanimirovic and Pupovac called on political party leaders and members of the city council and assembly to mark Municipality Day in a peaceful and dignified manner to calm political tension and division in the municipality which arose when the day marking Municipality Day was changed to September 18. The change came about with a change in government at the last local election. Until then the day was celebrated on August 9 - Liberation Day in the "Storm" military operation. However, the new government chose International Peace Day while the Croatian parties claim that this date is unacceptable because on that day in 1995 during the "Una" military action, ten Croatian defenders lost their lives. Heads of the SNV and SDSS did not invite members of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) to the meeting even though the party has two councilmen in the municipal council. President of HSP Anto Djapic announced that he would hold a press conference in Dvor on September 18 at which he would protest because of the change of date for the Municipality Day. The Dvor municipality in Croatia has a 64 percent Serb and 34 percent Croat population. (hina) sp lml