COMMITTEE FOR SEARCH FOR STAMBOLIC ASKS HELP

ZAGREB, Nov 10 (Hina) - The whereabouts of a former Serbian President, Ivan Stambolic, is still unknown, Zivorad Kovacevic, the head of the committee in charge of the search for Stambolic, said in Zagreb on Friday. Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, on Friday received a delegation of the committee, which is trying to prompt the Serbian and international public to support efforts aimed ad shedding more lights on Stambolic's destiny. Stambolic, who used to be a 'mentor' and supporter of Milosevic at the very beginning of the his political career, has been missing since 25 August when he was seen in the morning to be jogging in the sports centre of Kostunjak in Belgrade. Upon his disappearance the then opposition accused the Milosevic regime for this act. We came to President Mesic, who has showed his interest since the very beginning of the Stambolic case, to ask him for help within our attempts to incite the interest of the Serbian public and neighbouring countries as well as Europe in the search for the missing ex-President of Serbia, said Kovacevic. The attempt of the incumbent Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica to learn anything about the fate of the missing Stambolic was futile as the head of the Serbian state security service, Rade Markovic, failed to answer Kostunica's questions about the issue. For Kovacevic it is absurd that the secret police, which followed Stambolic at his every step, are now claiming they do not know what has happened with him. (hina) jn ms