REINTEGRATION OF CROATIAN DANUBE RIVER REGION - BRIEF REVIEW

( Editorial: --> 4105 ) ZAGREB/VUKOVAR, Jan 14 (Hina) - At the end of the mandate of the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), the Croatian leadership and the international community agree that the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river region has been completed successfully at an institutional level. There is also agreement that the two-way return of displaced persons and the establishment of trust should continue, with respect to guaranteeing the rights of minorities in the Danubian area and the whole of Croatia. This is a brief review of the process of peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river region in the last phase of the UNTAES mandate, from the local elections of 13 April 1997 to the termination of the mandate on 15 January 1998. On 8 June 1997, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman symbolically took all of Croatia into the Croatian Danube river region on the "Train to Vukovar - the Train of Peace", which consisted of 21 carriages, symbolising Croatia's 21 counties. This last period of the UNTAES mandate was marked by the establishment of county, town and municipal councils and leaderships in the Danubian area, in line with results of democratic local elections. There was also the introduction of the Croatian state system at all levels, consistent improvement in the security situation, the physical opening of the region to the rest of Croatia, the beginning of reconstruction and two-way return of displaced persons and refugees, and the establishment of trust among national communities. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LOCAL AUTHORITY; TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY Local elections for 25 municipalities and three towns in the Croatian Danube river region and for assemblies of the Osijek- Baranja and Vukovar-Sirmium counties were held on 13 April 1997. Up until the election day, general administration offices in these two counties issued 130,000 Croatian citizenship certificates, and another 25,000 after the elections until 1 September, totalling more than 150,000 certificates. More than 70,000 people voted in local elections in the Croatian Danube river region, as did 56,000 displaced persons from outside the region. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won in 15 municipalities and the town of Ilok, while the Serb Democratic Independent Party (SDSS) won in 10 municipalities and the town of Beli Manastir. The HDZ and SDSS share power in the city of Vukovar, and the city's two independent councillors are Croats. The SDSS has councillors in assemblies in both counties of the Danubian area, as well as in the Croatian Parliament's upper House of Counties. The establishment of newly-elected local authorities began on 17 May with the constituting of the Osijek-Baranja County Assembly. Seven days later, the Vukovar-Sirmium County Assembly was established in Vukovar. The establishment of local authority was completed in July. An agreement on the establishment of the Joint Council of (Serb- majority) Municipalities of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Sirmium was signed in Klisa in mid-July. Four local Serbs assumed positions as assistants to Croatian government ministers. During the last eight months of its mandate, the UNTAES has gradually been handing over control to Croatian authorities. The improving security situation was followed by an increase in the number of Croats in the Transitional Police Force (TPF); in the beginning, the TPF consisted of 1,500 Serbs and 22 Croats. Today, there are about 850 officers of each nationality, as well as about 100 members of other nationalities. On 1 July 1997 Ivan Babic assumed command of the TPF. On 1 December the officers put on Croatian uniforms and two weeks later, the TPF was integrated into the Croatian Interior Ministry. The introduction of the Croatian customs system was marked in mid- July with the Croatian flag being hoisted and plaques with Croatian customs insignia put up on border crossings between Croatia and Yugoslavia. Newly-appointed judges from the Danubian area swore an oath before the president of the Croatian State Panel of Judges near the end of August. Croatian judicial bodies began work in the Danubian area on 30 September. REINTEGRATION OF THE ECONOMY The return of oil fields in Djeletovci into the system of the Croatian oil company INA at the beginning of 1997 marked the beginning of reintegration of public companies and the overall economy of the Croatian Danubian region. After 14 months of negotiations, an agreement on the reintegration of the public railway system in the Danube river region was signed in Vukovar at the beginning of June. Public companies were reintegrated according to a uniform model, developed in cooperation with the UNTAES: Croatian companies signed work contracts with the current employees, guaranteeing them all legal rights. All public companies and economic systems were reintegrated in this way last autumn. By putting into operation a 110 kV transmission line from Vukovar to Vinkovci on 1 October, the reintegration of the electrical power system was completed. At the beginning of May an agreement on the reintegration of the postal and telecommunications system was signed in the Danubian area. The replacement of the Yugoslav dinar with the Croatian kuna began on 19 May and was successfully completed by 16 September with the annulment of all Dinar accounts. REINTEGRATION OF PUBLIC AND INFORMATION SERVICES Along with the reintegration of the economy, large social systems, such as health and education, were adjusted to Croatian regulations. The first negotiations on the reintegration of health facilities and personnel began in July 1997. The two sides agreed on 23 July that Dr. Vesna Bosanac should return to the General Hospital in Vukovar as director and that Dr. Rade Popovic, director at the time, should become the acting director. The reintegration of the health facilities and personnel ended with the signing of an agreement in Zagreb on 3 December. After an agreement on the reintegration of education was signed in Zagreb at the beginning of August, classes in the Croatian Danube region began regularly on 8 September in the language chosen by pupils' parents. The beginning of classes was marked with misunderstandings and dissatisfaction of the local population, particularly on 10 November when Serb parents decided not to send their children to school until their demands were met. An agreement was reached in Zagreb the same day, and classes have been held regularly from 17 November. All other services, such as social care centres and employment offices were reintegrated during the summer and autumn. The reintegration of the local Serb media into the Croatian media sector started at the end of 1997 and the beginning of this year. At the last meeting of the Joint Council of (Serb-majority) Municipalities, the Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) General Director Ivica Mudrinic and the Serb side reached an agreement enabling the Vukovar-based Television Dunav to broadcast a half- hour program every working day and an hour-long program on weekends on the second Croatian Television (HTV) channel. After six years of exile, Croatian Radio Vukovar started broadcasting its program from Vukovar on 23 December. Croatian Parliament Deputy Speaker Jadranka Kosor greeted listeners with "This is Croatian Radio Vukovar". FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT: RECONSTRUCTION AND RETURN The period between the elections and today has been marked by a gradual increase in the possibility of entering the Croatian Danube river region from other parts of Croatia, which has been facilitated by the good security situation, with no major incidents. The issuing of Croatian car registration plates started at the beginning of June 1997, as did the issuing of UNTAES' so-called blue cards, which enabled entry into the Croatian Danube river region. Five months after that, on 19 November, Croatian registration plates have been the only ones in the Croatian Danube river region, and it was possible to enter the region in a car only by showing one's identity card. This removed all obstacles to entering the area. From the start, the reconstruction of the Danube river region was hampered by the fact that construction workers had difficulty in entering the area. However, since June, more than 1,000 flats have been reconstructed in Vukovar. The reconstruction of less damaged houses has started as well. War damage has been registered in more than 40 villages and preparations have been completed for a speedier course of reconstruction in 1998. Top officials in the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development announced that the largest part of reconstruction works in the area should be completed during this year and 1999. Reconstruction works will be supported by Croatia's counties which accepted President Tudjman's proposal to participate in the reconstruction of more than 20 important facilities in Vukovar. A report on the implementation of the Croatian Government Letter of Intent on the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river region of 22 September estimated that more than 2 billion kuna (US$317 million) had been spent for reconstruction and revitalisation of that part of Croatia. The two-way return of displaced people and refugees started at the beginning of summer on the basis of an Agreement of the Joint Working Group on the operational procedure of return, signed by the Government, UNTAES and the UNHCR on 23 April. On 9 January 1998, the head of the Government Office for Displaced People and Refugees handed to Ilok Mayor Stipan Kraljevic a return certificate. This act marked the official beginning of return. At least 8,000 displaced people have returned to the Croatian Danube river region since. Some 11,000 people have returned from the Danube river region to other parts of Croatia. RESTORATION OF TRUST In line with Resolution 1120 of the United Nations Security Council, at the beginning of October the Croatian Government adopted an extensive programme on the restoration of trust, accelerated return and normalisation of life in the war-affected areas of Croatia. The programme includes actions which will be the basis for the restoration of trust. The programme is being implemented by the National Trust Establishment Committee, which is headed by Presidential Deputy Chief Of Staff Vesna Skare Ozbolt. The deputy heads are Ivica Vrkic and Vojislav Stanimirovic, who both have their offices in Vukovar. Counties, towns and municipalities have also established local trust establishment committees. The general estimate is that the work of those committees, especially the national committee, is extraordinarily good. Leaders of the National Trust Establishment Committee often stress that the establishment of trust is a long process one should work on continually. According to Resolution 1145 of the UN Security Council, the UNTAES mandate ends on 15 January 1998. As of 16 January, the Croatian Danube river region will completely be part of the Republic of Croatia. The further course of peaceful reintegration will be monitored by a support group of 180 UN civil police observers and a mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 141351 MET jan 98