HASTY REPLACEMENT OF CRO OFFICIALS IN DRVAR IS ILLOGICAL - SOLJIC

( Editorial: --> 7955 ) DRVAR, Apr 19 (Hina) - The main problem in Herceg-Bosna Canton is the lack of a federal police and this is the cause of tension, and sometimes even harassment and murder, Croat-Muslim Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina President Ejup Ganic said in Drvar Sunday. Ganic spoke after a meeting he and Federation Vice President Vladimir Soljic held with representatives of the international community. Without justifying the incident which took place in Drvar, western Bosnia, earlier this week, when two Serbs were killed, Soljic said the hasty replacement of Croat officials who had done the most for the return of displaced Serbs and for their safety was illogical. Immediately after the killing, Drvar deputy head Drago Tokmakcija and the local police head and cantonal interior minister were replaced in line with decisions made by the international High Representative for Bosnia, Carlos Westendorp, and the United Nations Bosnian mission head Elizabeth Rehn. Federation Vice President Soljic recalled that until now several Croat returnees had also been killed but, he said, it seemed these cases were not to be investigated. The perpetrators remain unknown, he said. Soljic said it was not real that only one canton should have a multiethnic police, especially not the canton to which returnees from the Bosnian Serb entity were returning, but without reciprocity. I will continue to demand rights for the Croat people, since the result as far as the return of Croat displaced persons is concerned is catastrophic, Soljic said. Unless a solution was found he was afraid the Croats would become an absolute minority. Ganic said the return of refugees and displaced persons should continue and be two-way. (hina) ha 192141 MET apr 98