ZAGREB, May 5 (Hina) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Croatia on Wednesday estimated the bad work of some housing commissions in Croatia was the main reason for the slow implementation of the
Programme of Return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes. The fact that many housing commissions are unable to realise their tasks as stipulated by the Croatian Government's Return Programme remains the main cause of the disappointingly slow implementation of the Programme and progress in the entire return process, OSCE spokesman Peter Palmer said at a news conference on Wednesday. This was shown by the first results of the systematic observing of the work of 146 housing commissions over Croatia which has begun last month by representatives of the OSCE, UNHCR and the EU Monitoring Mission in Croatia. Palmer said the commissions were not following orders they received f
ZAGREB, May 5 (Hina) - The Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Croatia on Wednesday
estimated the bad work of some housing commissions in Croatia was
the main reason for the slow implementation of the Programme of
Return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes.
The fact that many housing commissions are unable to realise their
tasks as stipulated by the Croatian Government's Return Programme
remains the main cause of the disappointingly slow implementation
of the Programme and progress in the entire return process, OSCE
spokesman Peter Palmer said at a news conference on Wednesday.
This was shown by the first results of the systematic observing of
the work of 146 housing commissions over Croatia which has begun
last month by representatives of the OSCE, UNHCR and the EU
Monitoring Mission in Croatia.
Palmer said the commissions were not following orders they received
from the Government, often had insufficient insight into
procedures and the Commission for the Return had not provided all
housing commissions with the necessary forms.
All these problems will be discussed with the Croatian Government,
Palmer stressed.
The overall security situation in the Danubian area is stable and
the number of incidents is within the borders of average, Palmer
said. Last month, several serious incidents with arms and
explosives were registered, though, he said.
There are some indications that the reply to these incidents by the
local police was insufficient, he stressed, adding the Mission
would follow the course of investigations.
The police did, however, adequately react in another kind of
incidents -- housing legal cases which are also on the rise, he
said.
According to Palmer, incidents during the holiday weekend are
renewing attempts by returnees to the Danubian area from other
regions in Croatia to circumscribe procedures for the return of
property stipulated by the Return Programme.
Spokesman for the UNHCR Mission to Croatia, Andrej Mahecic, said
after Tuesday's session of the Croatian Government Commission for
the following of the Kosovo crisis, it was decided that the
Government should send several officials to Macedonia to assist in
choosing refugees to be temporarily received by Croatia.
(hina) lml