A COMMISSION CALLS FOR DROPPING OF ORDINANCE ON FLAT LEASING

( Editorial: --> 9740 ) ZAGREB, 5 Feb (Hina)- Article 11, an international commission for monitoring of the implementation of the Erdut agreement on peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube region, called for annulment of a by-law on leasing of state-owned flats in that area. On Thursday the commission met in Zagreb with the National Trust Establishment Committee. At the meeting members of the commission voiced their concern over potentially discriminatory provisions of that by-law. They called for replacement of the by-law with a regulation that would suit the needs of all inhabitants of that area. After the meeting, which took two hours, the US ambassador to Croatia William Montgomery said the commission had warned that any future measures that would be be or seemed to be discriminatory or favour one ethnic group over the other, would be contrary to the whole process. He said that the aforementioned by-law actually discriminated against one ethnic group and that several members of the commission and he personally concluded it should be declared void. Montgomery added that the National committee should replace the by- law with a regulation that would equally suit the needs of all inhabitants of the area. The by-law on leasing of state-owned flats in the Croatian Danube region was passed by the Government on 22 January. According to the by-law, those who have tenant rights in the Danube area have to submit a request to draw up a contract about the leasing of the flat by 15 March. People who are not in the flats at the moment and do not have tenancy rights have to leave the flats eight days after receiving notice that they had been ensured temporary accommodation in places in Croatia where they had lived before, if they do not have a habitable house or flat in Croatia. Speaking about the meeting with the National Committee, the US ambassador described it as very useful, commending the committee for its past efforts and its assessment of the situation on the ground. (Hina) jn mr 052054 MET feb 98