OSCE MISSION IN BOSNIA PUNISHES HDZ, WARNS SILAJDZIC AND HALILOVIC

SARAJEVO, Nov 7 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia- Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) is responsible for displaying posters which instigate ethnic hatred, the Appeals Electoral Sub-Commission of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina established. OSCE spokesman Luke Zahner told reporters in Sarajevo on Tuesday HDZ posters featuring the message "Affiliation or Extermination" constituted a direct violation of electoral rules and incited ethnic hatred. According to a decision by the Sub-Commission, the HDZ will have to remove or cover all posters bearing this message by 6 pm on Wednesday and if it fails to do so, new punitive measures will be taken. The HDZ has already been punished with the removal of its first candidate from one of the cantonal electoral rosters as a result of statements by HDZ officials who urged the use of 'extra- institutional measures' for the sake of achievement of political goals. The Sub-Commission today also considered objections regarding the electoral messages relayed by the Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is headed by Haris Silajdzic. Several political parties from the Bosnian Serb entity have complained that the message "It Is Time for a Bosnia-Herzegovina Without Entities" directly negated the Dayton agreement. The Sub-Commission judged these complaints as only partially founded and instructed the Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina to publish additional explanations regarding the context in which such electoral statements are made. A similar warning was directed to the Bosnia-Herzegovina Patriotic Party (BPS) of Sefer Halilovic, which was told to stop using the parole "We Are for the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina." (hina) rml