CONFLICT BETWEEN BANJA LUKA & PALE FLARES UP

( Editorial: --> 3848 ) SARAJEVO, May 14 (Hina) - An inspection the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) and International Police Task Force (IPTF) carried out Thursday morning in the headquarters of special and basic police in Pale near Sarajevo was completed without incident. The inspection included the setting up of road checkpoints and a search of 15 locations - from municipal buildings to the Serb Radio- Television studio and the news agency Srna, and the headquarters of the basic and special police forces. UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko said no irregularities were registered during the search, with an exception of 15 machine-guns which were found in a car on a checkpoint. The weapons were confiscated and the driver was arrested. Today's operation was carried out after the government of Premier Milorad Dodik presented numerous accusations against the Bosnian Serb hard-line wing, which is gathered around the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) top officials in Pale. Premier Dodik and SDS representatives exchanged harsh words at yesterday's parliament session in Banja Luka. Dodik called SDS representative Miroslav Vjestica, one of the fiercest critics of the new government, a "retarded dumbhead" to which Vjestica responded calling Dodik "a tractor driver with no education", and a "proven war profiteer and criminal". Dodik's Defence Minister Manojlo Milanovic said that the Bosnian Presidency member Momcilo Krajisnik (SDS) was gathering people released from army service and establishing paramilitary units in Pale. International representatives in Bosnia today refused to comment on the latest severe accusations between Banja Luka and Pale. They also could not say if a parallel army and police system was being established in eastern parts of the Bosnian Serb entity. This is an internal affair of Republika Srpska and the legal Interior Ministry is able to secure control of the police by the elected government, said Simon Haselock, spokesman for the Office of the High Representative. Should security be threatened, I could not say that some other organisations would not be interested in what is going on, said Haselock. UN spokesman Ivanko had no comment on this. We can neither confirm nor deny that today's operation is connected with the accusations concerning the establishment of parallel institutions of authority, said Ivanko. SFOR spokesman Clarke said NATO soldiers were searching the hotel "Panorama" in Pale which houses Krajisnik's office. However, he said that the search was not for some documents and added that the status and equipment of police in Pale was being checked so as to ensure that they are under control of the government in Banja Luka. Clarke refused the possibility of SFOR or IPTF searching for evidence which could be used in the indictment that was yesterday issued against the former Republika Srpska premier, who is accused of embezzling money from entity funds. (hina) rm/mrb 141629 MET may 98