INTERNATIONAL REPS SLAM MOSTAR HDZ FOR OBSTRUCTING RETURN PROCESS

MOSTAR, May 19 (Hina) - The regional branches of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in southern Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday condemned the leadership of the local Croatian Democratic Party (HDZ) in Mostar for obstructing the reconstruction of Croat houses in Mostar's neighbourhood of Bijelo Polje by using ethnic discrimination. A joint statement, issued by the head of the OHR regional office in Mostar, Richard Ellerkmann, was read out at today's new conference by the head of the reconstruction department, Nigel Moore. According to the statement, two Bosniak companies, which had been selected in a regular bidding procedure, were not allowed to perform reconstruction works on Croat houses in Bijelo Polje. Also, one of the three Croat companies performing the works was requested to stop its activities because one of its employees is a Muslim. It is unacceptable and hypocritical of Croatian companies to constantly accuse the international community of not supporting the return of Croats, while at the same time party officials are using force and political means to obstruct the return and reconstruction projects which could benefit their own people, the statement read. The obvious obstruction of the return process would most probably seriously affect the donors' stand towards Mostar at a conference to be held at the end of this week. The head thhe regional office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Gary Matthews, described the behaviour of Croat officials as shocking, horrible and completely unnecessary. According to the head of the UNHCR office, Lenarc Kotsalainen, some Croat representatives in Mostar were obstructing the construction of houses in Bijelo Polje, thus denying assistance to their own people. (hina) rml