OSIJEK-BARANJA RETURNEE ASSOCIATION HOLDS SESSION

OSIJEK, April 12 (Hina) - The Osijek-Baranja County Returnee Association on Monday expressed satisfaction with the interpretation of the Law on the Status of Displaced People and Refugees, according to which displaced people and refugees are not obliged to pay rents for using houses and flats while in exile. According to the interpretation of the law by the Croatian National Sabor, published on March 26 in the National Gazette, displaced people and refugees occupying other people's houses and flats were accommodated in line with the law, that is, in line with decisions of the then crisis headquarters or military-housing commissions. Displaced people facing legal proceedings in connection with this problem should refer to the Sabor's interpretation so that those proceedings could be cancelled. In cases where legal proceedings have already been completed, resulting in the payment of rents by returnees, returnees should submit requests for the cancellation of proceedings and the return of paid amounts. The president of the association, Josip Kompanovic, told today's session that the Sabor's decision was what returnees had been demanding for a long time and expressed hope that now they "would be able to enjoy better protection". Participants in the discussion warned that following the beginning of NATO operation in Yugoslavia, persons who had previously left Croatia because they disagreed with the peaceful reintegration, were now returning to avoid mobilisation in Yugoslavia. Kompanovic said that those persons had in several cases caused incidents in Beli Manastir, and the police would be informed about the problem so that it could be established "who is coming to Croatia and with what intentions". (hina) jn rml