MINISTER DELIVERS KEYS, 'HVIDRA' MEMBERS BOYCOTT CEREMONY IN

SIBENIK, May 12 (Hina) - Croatian Minister in charge of Homeland War veterans, Ivica Pancic, on Friday presented families of war casualties with keys to 39 flats in the newly-built buildings. The ceremony was boycotted by the Sibenik branch of the 'HVIDRA' association of war veterans. Zoran Klaric, an assistant to the Public Works and Construction Minister, said 3000 flats are being under construction for Homeland War casualties and victims' families and by the end of this year 500 flats would be built. During Friday morning's meeting Minister Pancic and Sibenik-Knin county officials agreed that local authorities in the coastal town of Sibenik had to ensure the construction site and infrastructure for building apartments for remaining 82 disabled war veterans.. Leaders of local branches of HVIDRA and a group of dissatisfied disabled war veterans were in their cars parked near the site of today's ceremony and disturbed Minister Pancic's speech with loud boos. Later they told reporters that they expressed support to seven to eight disabled veterans whom the Veterans Ministry erased from the list for flats at the last moment arbitrarily and put one person who had no right to be added there. Minister Pancic replied to reporters that he was expecting from veterans to offer reliable data, and stressed that the law must be enforced. Asked why the list of those who should get flats in Sibenik was altered at the last moment, he answered that it had been established that two killed soldiers' widows, who should have received flats, possess suites for leasing to holiday-makers, and one disabled veteran possesses a still unfinished house. The minister had no knowledge of other cases. (hina) jn ms