CROATIA ASKED TO SET UP TRANSPARENT PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCT OF ELECTION

SARAJEVO, Sept 18 (Hina) - The steering committee of the Council for the Implementation of the Dayton Accords, which held a session in Brussels on Friday, assessed that the forthcoming election in Croatia would be of a great importance for the situation in Bosnia- Herzegovina. The committee therefore called on Croatia's authorities to take measures to ensure that the election would be conducted in a free and fair manner.#L# According to a statement containing the steering committee's conclusions, that was forwarded to Hina from the Sarajevo-based Office of the High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, as a guarantor of the Dayton agreements, has been asked to immediately set up a transparent procedure of the conduct of the election at which all Croats, including Bosnian Croats granted Croatia's citizenship, may cast ballots. The Croatian Government has been requested to take exactly defined measures including a faster introduction of procedures for confirming the citizenship and registration of eligible voters both in the Republic of Croatia and outside the country. The steering committee has insisted that agreement be reached on enabling voters to cast ballots abroad, in Croatia's embassies and consulates. It has also requested a timely agreement of Croatia with Bosnia-Herzegovina's authorities, the Office of the High Representative and the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) mission, on the implementation of the election in Bosnia. The Croatian Government is expected to compile and issue lists of voters as well as to establish a simple procedure for their corrections. The steering committee has also insisted on agreement on places in the Croatian national Sabor for national minorities' deputies. If these requests were not fulfilled, one could hardly presume that the coming election in Croatia, particularly the voting in Bosnia, might be regarded as fair and free, read the statement at the end. (hina) ms