73 PARTIES TO PARTICIPATE IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN BH

SARAJEVO, Oct 28 (Hina) - A temporary electoral commission, acting as a part of the Organisation for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, confirmed that 73 political parties and 17 independent candidates had registered for the municipal elections in the country to be held in the spring of 2000, OSCE spokeswoman Tanya Domi said in Sarajevo Thursday. The registered parties include 8 parties with Croatian premodifier. The OSCE mission demanded from three newly registered parties from the Republika Srpska to change their names in order to avoid similarity with names of previously registered political organisations. If the three parties change their names within 48 hours and inform the OSCE mission of the change, they will be allowed to participate in the elections. According to a decision dating October 22, the temporary electoral commission prohibited the Serb Radical Party and the Serb Party of Krajina and Posavina from participating in the upcoming elections. The two parties refused to re-register and to remove persons who violated the Dayton Agreement from their duties. (hina) it mm