PREREGISTRATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS ENDS APRIL 3

( Editorial: --> 6897 ) OSIJEK, Mar 3 (Hina) - A working group for the return of displaced people and refugees, composed of representatives of the Croatian Government, the UNHCR and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Tuesday held a meeting in Osijek. They reached several conclusions aimed at stepping up the two-way return process. Croatian Assistant Reconstruction and Development Minister Stjepan Sterc and the head of the Government's office for displaced persons and refugees, Lovre Pejkovic, acquainted reporters with these conclusions. The working group decided that the preregistration of displaced people must be concluded by 3 April, after which it will no longer be carried out. The status of people who fail to preregister by that deadline will be regulated in line with Croatian provisions and not in line with an agreement on operative return procedures. The reconstruction of houses of displaced people currently living in other people's houses in eastern Croatia has been agreed to. Displaced people who have their own flat or house fit to be moved in must move out of the house or flat they are currently occupying without the owner's permission. The working group adopted an implementation programme for the work of housing commissions. People who had neither tenancy rights nor owned a flat must leave the houses they are occupying eight days after they have been provided with temporary accommodation. The head of the Osijek-Baranja County office for displaced persons and refugees, Nada Arbanas, said that since preregistration started on 3 February it had been ascertained that out of 3,414 registered Serb families, 50 per cent are not living in eastern Croatia. Of those living there, 806 want to return to their former places of residence, 609 want to sell their property and leave Croatia, and 57 requested organised accommodation, while seven per cent want to stay in eastern Croatia. Arbanas said that UNHCR and OSCE representatives assessed today's meeting as useful for an accelerated two-way return. The head of the Vukovar-Srijem County office for displaced persons and refugees, Ante Drmic, said that to date 3,575 Serb families had been preregistered of which 2,080 were not living in the area. Drmic said 497 families want to return to their former places of residence and 653 want to leave Croatia, while 210 want to stay in eastern Croatia. Pejkovic assessed that the figure of displaced Serbs was being manipulated with. The number of people registered in eastern Croatia is much higher than the number of those who are actually living there. (hina) ha jn /mb 031959 MET mar 98