WESTENDORP BARS USE OF ABANDONED PROPERTY BY MUNICIPALITIES

SARAJEVO, May 27 (Hina) - The International High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp, suspended powers of authorities in the Croat-Moslem Federation and the Bosnian Serb entity to allocate and put at someone's disposal socially-owned land which had been used before the war by people who became refugees during the war in the country. A spokesman for the High Representative's Office (OHR), James Ferguson, said in Sarajevo on Thursday that Westendorp had had to take such a decision due to gross malfeasance during the allocation of this kind of land which used to be farmland or on which houses, cultural and religious buildings had been demolished during the war. Such acts (of malfeasance) practically deprive returnees of the means for life, Ferguson said stressing that they had also endangered the process of the restitution and privatisation. According to Westendorp's decision, municipal authorities in Bosnia are not allowed to use, by the end of this year, any kind of land used until April 1992, except socially-owned flats which are covered by particular acts. The decision does not refer only to the Brcko district. All decrees made on grounds of acts which are proclaimed illegal by Westendorp's decision, have been revoked. (hina) ms