HIGH REPRESENTATIVE PASSES AMENDMENTS TO PROPERTY LAWS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Oct 27 (Hina) - The international High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, on Wednesday made a few decision on amendments to the current property laws in Bosnia. According to a statement issued by the Office of High Representative (OHR), decisions adjusted property laws in the Bosnian Serb entity (the Republic of Srspka) to such laws in effect in the other entity - the Croat-Moslem Federation - in order to give the same position for all refuges form the country. Most important alterations refer to the time limit of 90 days for the return of flats to pre-war tenancy-right holders (persons who lived in the concerned flats before or during the war) after they submit adequate requests for the return. To date, the time limit in the Serb entity has been one year. According to another decision of Petritsch, all persons who use a few flats or houses unjustifiably, must be evicted at short notice, and they should pay a fine of 500 convertible marks. Appeals against this decision will not effect the implementation of the ruling. This package of measures proposed by the High Representative also determine ways for ensuring alternative accommodation for those who must move out of someone else's flat. The statement issued by the OHR read that four years since the signing of the Dayton peace Accords, hundreds of thousands of refugees still cannot return to their homes in Bosnia, and the enforcement of property laws has not so far yielded adequate results in any entity. (hina) ms