DECISION ON REPLACEMENT OF HEAD OF MOSTAR UNIVERSITY POSTPONED

MOSTAR, Aug 23 (Hina) - The Mostar University Governing Council on Wednesday neither accepted nor refused the request of eight out if 12 University Senate members who insisted on the replacement of the University Chancellor Marko Tadic. The Council said it had considered the situation at this university and scheduled its next session for 28 August (next Monday) when Chancellor Marko Tadic is expected to attend the meeting. The Council also concluded that no public statements be given until the coming session, read a brief report issued after today's meeting of the Mostar University Governing Council. Recently eight out of 12 Mostar University Senate members demanded Chancellor Tadic's resignation, criticising him for failing to sufficiently advocate Croatian interests and for showing accommodationist views towards the international community. Those eight members also bear a grudge against Tadic as he removed the Croat insignia from premises of the university. Chancellor Marko Tadic has refused accusations and stressed that he is in favour of transforming Mostar University according to European standards. He has confirmed that he asked that portraits of the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, the late Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak and the late Bosnian Croat leader Mate Boban be removed from offices of the University's secretariat. Tadic has explained that his demand is in line with his attempts to preserve the autonomy of the university. Prior to Wednesday's session of the University's Governing Council, the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Thomas Miller, authorities in the southern city of Mostar and students expressed their support to Tadic. (hina) ms