REQUEST FOR RETURN OF FLATS TO BE MADE BY OCTOBER 4

( Editorial: --> 3266 ) SARAJEVO, May 12 (Hina) - The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson in Sarajevo, Ariane Quentier, on Tuesday called on all holders of tenancy rights from the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, whose flats were declared as abandoned during the war, to request a return of flats or in other words, tenancy rights. She urged them to do this if they wish to take advantage of the favourable conditions offered by the recently adopted property laws. Quentier said that the requests, in line with regulations adopted at the start of this week, have to be made by the holders of tenants' rights whose requests were earlier rejected, as well as those who had cause to make grievances to the ombudsmen or the Commission for Property Requests of Displaced Persons and Refugees. Only those persons whose requests were positively resolved do not have to put in new requests but if they are not realised, they need to put in a proposal for their finalisation. Requests for return of flats or tenancy rights, according to directions from the Federal Ministry for Town Planning and Environment, are to be submitted to the municipal authority for residential issues in the municipality where the flat is located. Requests are to be submitted in two copies, one of which is verified, and then returned to the requester. Quentier said that the municipal authorities must even accept requests if the requester does not have with them the necessary documents to prove their pre-war tenancy right. Municipalities are obliged to examine the information and within a 30 day period make an adequate resolution and then in the next five days inform the requester, she said. The deadline for making a request for the return of flats according to the law adopted by the Federation Parliament expires on October 4, and those who do not, lose their tenancy right for always. (hina) mrb/lm 121457 MET may 98