VUKOVAR CITY COUNCIL HOLDS SESSION AFTER END OF SDSS BLOCKADE

( Editorial: --> 0582 ) VUKOVAR, June 11 (Hina) - The Vukovar City Council finally met on Thursday after a two and a half month blockade by councillors from the Serb Independent Democratic Party (SDSS). During today's five-hour session, more than two hours was spent in a debate over the agenda after Croatian People's Party (HPS) councillor Grgo Plenkovic demanded that the session only discuss the operation of the council and drop all other items on the agenda. After the debate his suggestion was put on top of the agenda. Plenkovic criticised his colleagues for not having discussed important municipal problems, such as reconstruction and return, for more than a year. Serb councillor Milos Vojnovic said he felt the suggestion was made "so that the SDSS and its president could be portrayed as the only culprits for problems in the functioning of the municipal council". Croat councillors asked Mayor Vladimir Stengl whether people had moved into the approximately 1,200 flats which had often been mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Jure Radic and other high- ranking government officials. So far Vukovar has repaired only 190 flats, Stengl answered. Today's session endorsed a report on the performance of the mayor's office and the city administration for the second half of 1997 and the budget statement for 1997. (Hina) mro /mbr 112210 MET jun 98