WESTENDORP PRESENTS THREE PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE BOSNIAN FLAG

( Editorial: --> 7424 ) SARAJEVO, 26 Jan (Hina) - The Office of the High Representative presented three proposals for a new Bosnian flag at a press conference in Sarajevo late Monday evening. High Representative Carlos Westendorp said that he had formed a commission for drawing-up proposals for a new Bosnian flag, in line with conclusions of the Council for implementing the regulations of the Bonn agreement. Westendorp said he did it because the meritorious state bodies had failed to agree on the design of the state flag by 31 December 1997. The commission has offered three proposals for the new flag in a very short time. Since they all agreed that it was very difficult to integrate national symbols on the flag, it was decided that no national symbols should be put on the flag. Sadudin Musabegovic, a member of the commission, said the commission had agreed that the background of each proposed flag be light blue, with a combination of yellow and white. Two proposals have a triangle, which as a universal geometrical shape reminds of the geographic shape of Bosnia-Herzegovina and symbolises its three constituent peoples. The third proposal has a certain number of white starts, similar to those on the European Union flag. Westendorp said he would present the three proposals to the Parliament and Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina. He added he hoped one of them would be chosen. If none of the three proposals is chosen, I will have to make the decision on the new flag of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which will represent the country at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano next month, Westendorp said. (hina) rm 262330 MET jan 98