HHO INSISTS THAT GOVT. ANNULS REGISTRATION OF PARALLEL HHO

ZAGREB, Aug 30 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (HHO) asks the Government to rescind the registration of a parallel HHO which has been included in the register of associations of the Republic of Croatia and to order to that society to change its name. HHO representatives held a news conference on Wednesday on this issues. The HHO also asked the Government to call an assistant to Justice Minister, Teodor Antic, to account for having signed the solution for the registration of the parallel HHO on 22 August while the other competent assistant was on holiday, said an HHO leader, Zarko Puhovski. The international Helsinki federation for human rights, whose member HHO has been since 1993, confirmed two days ago that it recognised the HHO at whose helm is Izet Aganovic, Puhovski told reporters. Although the international federation will not recognise the recently-established parallel HHO, the situation with two HHO committees seriously dents efforts aimed at the protection of human rights in Croatia, as now many people do not know which HHO they should approach. This has possibly been the main intention of founders of the "new HHO" and they have succeeded in it with the obvious support of the incumbent authorities, Puhovski claimed. This HHO has requested Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic to hold talks with it on the matter, and hopes that the problem will be solved in a few weeks. According to sources close to Minister Ivanisevic, he has launched an inquiry into circumstances pertaining to the registration of the parallel HHO. (hina) jn ms