PETRISCH DENIES HOLBROOKE'S REQUEST TO BAN BOSNIAN SERB PARTY

SARAJEVO, Nov 2 (Hina) - The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations had demanded a work ban for Bosnia's Serb Democratic Party (SDS), but was denied support by the international community high representative, two Bosnian daily papers said on Thursday. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke told Banja Luka-based Nezavisne novine he considered SDS a terrorist organisation and confirmed he had explicitly requested that the party, established by war criminal Radovan Karadzic, be prohibited from conducting further activity. The United States diplomat said his suggestion had not been supported by High Representative Wolfgang Petrisch, nor approved by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission in Sarajevo. The spokesman for Petrisch's office, Oleg Milisic, told Sarajevo- based daily Dnevni avaz the suggestion had indeed been debated, but that Holbrooke and Petrisch had failed to agree. The suggestion to ban Karadzic's party from working is not new. Holbrooke first pressed the matter in 1996 ahead of the first post- war election in Bosnia. According to his memoirs "To End a War", the creator of the Dayton peace agreement had made the suggestion to Alija Izetbegovic, who said no. During last week's visit to Bosnia, Holbrooke did not miss the opportunity to tell reporters he still considered SDS an extremist political organisation which advocates divisions, separatism, and inter-ethnic hatred. (hina) ha jn