CRO MUNICIPAL HEADS BOYCOTT MEETING ON RETURN - SAYS INT OFFICIAL

MOSTAR, Nov 4 (Hina) - The acting head of the Mostar Regional Office of the High Representative (OHR) for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gerhard Sontheim, on Thursday accused Croat municipal heads in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of boycotting today's meeting with Muslim and Serb colleagues in the east of the Bosnian Serb entity. The meeting was the first inter-entity meeting of municipal heads from southern BH which discussed the two-way return of refugees and displaced persons to pre-war homes. It was organised by Sontheim's Office and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The invited Croat officials were the municipal heads of Capljina and Stolac and Mostar Mayor Ivan Prskalo. Sontheim asserted the Croat officials by their absence had given a wrong signal only a week after the HR urged an immediate implementation of property laws which should return pre-war property to rightful owners. He said the Capljina and Stolac municipal heads were avoiding their responsibilities as stipulated in Annexe Seven of the Dayton peace agreement which regulates the refugee return. Mayor Prskalo's Office said in a statement meetings like today's "do not contribute to greater returns of displaced persons to their homes," and that they were organised only for formality's sake. Prskalo pointed out it would be much more important if the UNHCR and the OHR genuinely urged Muslim returns to eastern Herzegovina. At today's meeting, Muslim and Serb municipal heads agreed a two- way return was possible, and to exchange lists of refugees and displaced persons willing to return. (hina) ha