HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR BOSNIA SAYS DAYTON PRIORITIES UNCHANGED

( Editorial: --> 0298 ) SARAJEVO, June 10 (Hina) - Authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina are expected to assume chief responsibility for the situation in the country in the following period, the international High Representative for the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement Carlos Westendorp said in Sarajevo Wednesday. International factors have agreed in assessing that a lot has been done in the implementation of the Dayton agreement, but also that a lot remains to be done and completed, Westendorp said. It is now up to Bosnian authorities to see to that, he told a press conference following his arrival from Luxembourg, where he attended a session of the Peace Implementation Council. The international community will not stay in this country forever and Bosnian authorities must finally assume their part of the responsibility for the situation in the country, the Spanish diplomat said. Pointing out the priorities in the implementation of the peace agreement by the year's end, Westendorp said these were the return of refugees, primarily to those areas where they represented a minority, the holding of elections this September with the aim of strengthening multi-ethnicity and political pluralism, and the restructuring of the Bosnian media. Peace in Bosnia may easily be endangered by an escalation of the conflict in Kosovo, the High Representative said and called on the international community to engage more resolutely in the matter in order to find a peace-keeping solution to the crisis in the southern Yugoslav province. Asked whether Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic ought to be arrested before the September elections, Westendorp said the arrest had to be made as soon as possible. Karadzic is still politically influent even though his influence is considerably weaker, Westendorp said, but he emphasised it was not only a matter of political influence, but also of the whole climate in which Karadzic's presence was obstructing reconciliation and preventing war wounds from healing. June 12 will remain the deadline for the restructuring of Radio and Television Bosnia-Herzegovina, the High Representative said, pointing out he would appoint new administration board members if tomorrow Bosnia's collective Presidency failed to sign an adequate memorandum of understanding. It will no longer be possible to re-broadcast programmes from foreign TV stations, in particular from Croatia and Serbia, via earth transmitters, Westendorp said. Commenting on a recent split within the Croatian Democratic Union of BH (HDZ BH), he said the international community supported political pluralism. Westendorp said that as far as he knew, the heads of the factions within the party, current party president Anto Jelavic and the Croat member in Bosnia's Presidency Kresimir Zubak, both advocated full compliance with the Dayton agreement and cooperation with the international community. If that is so we support such pluralism as it is a matter of healthy competition between political forces, Westendorp emphasised. In answer to a reporter's question, he said he did not have the impression that with his performance Zubak, who announced the formation of a new Bosnian HDZ, had turned his back to Croatian and HDZ President Franjo Tudjman. Tudjman called the representatives of both currents within the HDZ BH to reach an agreement and maintain unity but to the High Representative's knowledge, that had not been complied with and Zubak decided to form a new party. (hina) ha /mbr 101957 MET jun 98