GULDIMANN ON REGULAR OSCE REPORT ON SITUATION IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - Croatia's compliance with undertaken international obligations is stagnating, the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Croatia, Tim Guldimann, told a regular press conference in Zagreb on Wednesday. In certain key areas the situation has even deteriorated, Guldimann said, adding the cause was a lack of political will on the part of representatives of Croatian authorities. Guldimann's statements reflect the general conclusion on the degree of progress in Croatia's compliance with international obligations made in a report the OSCE Mission issues every four months. The latest report was submitted on Tuesday to the Croatian government and OSCE's permanent council in Vienna, where Guldimann is to present it on June 2 and 3. He told reporters a stagnation in complying with international obligations was first noticed in January. Progress in other fields has not affected the general opinion that the situation in some key fields has even deteriorated, he emphasised. The OSCE Mission ascribes the negative trend to the absence of political will on authorities representatives' part to take appropriate measures. The latest report is more critical than the previous two ones, on account of the Croatian government's then promise that it would meet certain commitments, especially with regard to the refugee and displaced person return programme, Guldimann said. We welcomed the promises at the time, but must now state they have not been kept, he explained, adding the return in the last four months proceeded at approximately the same rate as before. This however, said Guldimann, is becoming aggravating as time goes on given that people who wish to return to their pre-war homes are losing hope. The only progress in the return process is the fact that returnees have been given the possibility to obtain documents to cross borders and enter Croatia. Guldimann believes the return is slow also due to the fact that the government has not eliminated the chief obstacles, particularly problems related to reclaiming ownership of property and discriminating legal provisions, nor enabled equal rights to assistance in reconstruction. Dual standards, based on ethnic belonging, can be seen at all levels of the return process, he asserted. No improvement has been noted in the enforcement of the 1996 amnesty law either. Guldimann said new war crimes indictments without actual cooperation from The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia increased the feeling of insecurity among Serbs. The failure of the trust establishment programme should be ascribed to a lack of authorities representatives' political will at all levels, he added. The OSCE Mission head however pointed to the ever increasing stability in eastern Croatia, and also commended the success of individuals and non-government organisations in the achieving normalisation and trust establishment in the area. Also positive is the fact that police in eastern Croatia continue to be professional in their performance, as is the fact that the government has complied with most obligations from an agreement with the former United Nations transitional administration in the area, especially in the field of public sector employment and special regulation of military service for persons from areas formerly under the UN administration. Despite the fact that the government adopted new international instruments for the protection of human rights, Guldimann said it made almost no progress in effecting changes to domestic legislation to make it compatible with appropriate international standards. He however assessed as positive a certain step forward in the enforcement of the law adjustment act. The OSCE Mission assessed Croatia had made no progress in the democratisation of society since the beginning of the year, especially with regard to media freedoms and electoral proceedings. The national television continues to be politically influenced, while news programmes often bring rigged and incorrect data, Guldimann said, but assessed as positive that Croatian Television director general Ivica Vrkic is open to cooperation with the international community in view of television's role in the upcoming elections. Guldimann reminded that the Croatian government had undertaken the mentioned obligations itself, and that in the international community's eyes, compliance with them is a precondition to further approach European integration. The crisis in neighbouring Yugoslavia has had a negative effect on the already difficult economic situation in Croatia, Guldimann said, adding European governments have been clearly called on to pay more attention to the economic difficulties Croatia is facing. He pointed out the latest report will reiterate a stand made in the January report with regard to the need for bigger advisory and financial assistance by the international community in Croatia's normalisation and democratisation processes, independent of Croatia's access to European integration. We are all aware of Croatia's crucial role in the stabilisation of the entire region, Guldimann said, adding that in view of Croatia's democratisation, dialogue with the international community must be intensified, as must the latter's financial assistance. (hina) ha