ROUND TABLE ON RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT HELD IN VUKOVAR

VUKOVAR, May 20 (Hina) - The bill on Vukovar will be sent into parliamentary procedure most probably at the first autumn session of the Sabor and its implementation could start on January 1 2001 at the latest, a Sabor vice-president, Mato Arlovic, said in Vukovar on Saturday. Speaking at a round table on the reconstruction and development of Vukovar, which was organised by the local Social Democratic Party (SDP) branch, Arlovic said the purpose of such a law would be to secure incentives for the local economy, provide better living conditions for Vukovar residents and establish the rule of law in civil society where everybody would be equal regardless of their religion, ethnic background or gender. According to the president of the county SDP and Defence Minister, Ivica Pancic, the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) strategy of reconstruction and return to the Danube region had proved wrong. The new government has not done as much as Vukovar residents expected it to do for their town, however, "speaking objectively, more could not have been done in the first 100 days of its rule." Participating in the round table was a vice-president of the SDP Economic Council, Drago Kovacevic and MP Branislav Tusek. Speaking about a bill on the reconstruction and development of Vukovar, which he helped draw up, Tusek said implementing the bill would create conditions for a speedier return and reconstruction. The bill was drawn up by the SDP and would be sent into parliamentary procedure. Tusek added it would be difficult to start any development cycles if experts did not return to Vukovar. (hina) rml,