ORDER DISBANDING BOSNIAN CROAT UNITS WITHDRAWN

SARAJEVO, March 14 (Hina) - The newly-appointed defence minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Croat-Muslim entity (Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina), Mijo Anic, on Wednesday withdrew a controversial order of his predecessor Miroslav Prce disbanding Croatian Defence Council (HVO) units and removing Federation Army insignia from HVO soldiers' and officers' uniforms. Prce's decision, whose existence was only speculated until now, also included an order saying that as of March 5, "the training and all movements of HVO units, except for the training centre, are discontinued" and that HVO members "are put on a waiting list until further notice, with adequate financial compensation" which would depend on available funds. The former minister also ordered that barracks and other buildings be safeguarded only by necessary troops. Reasons for the withdrawal of this decision have not been publicly explained and the decision has been connected with a decision of the Croat National Assembly, which, led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, early this month declared Croat self-rule and cancelled the participation of Croat representatives in the country's state institutions. Minister Anic called today on all HVO members to continue carrying out their duties in a professional manner and respect the newly- established civil authority, which, he said, "will best protect the interests of BH Croats." Anic said that a deputy-commander of the Federation Army, Dragan Curcic, practically the chief commander of the Federation Army's Croat component, had expressed his loyalty to him. Bosnian Croats are represented in the new Federation government by parties which do not belong to the HDZ-led national bloc. (hina) sb rml