SERBIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL DELEGATION VISITS GRACAC AND DONJI LAPAC

( Editorial: --> 2432 ) GRACAC, June 19 (Hina) - A delegation of the Serbian National Council (SNV) Friday visited Gracac and Donji Lapac (about 180km south of Zagreb) where they had talks with local authorities on the return of refugee Serbs and normalisation of life in that area, liberated from Serb occupation in 1995. Delegation member, Vojislav Stanimirovic MP, said that SNV is advocating that nobody should return by force, neither Serbs from Yugoslavia to Croatia nor Croats to Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, according to Stanimirovic, the problem of property should start being resolved, especially the problem of those families who wrongfully took possession of two or more houses. He stressed that SNV is not advocating any kind of sanctions towards Croatia, as it can be read in the media, nor the postponement of the donors' conference. "We are in favour of the donors' conference and wish for Croatia to as soon as possible fulfill its undertaken commitments and we do not wish any kind of sanctions. We are aware that it is difficult for Croatia to solve the big problems of reconstruction alone. Therefore, we speak in favour of the reconstruction of infrastructure and the economy because we do not want this region to be a region of elderly people and unemployed people," he said. Gracac Mayor Tadija Sisic said that there are no security problems in that municipality. About 5,000 people live there currently. They are Croats from Lika, Croats from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serb returnees, as well as those who always lived in that area. There are 823 registered returnees of Serb nationality, but the number is actually higher, given that some did not return in an organised way, said Sisic. The biggest problem is the reconstruction of infrastructure, economy and agriculture, he said. Donji Lapac Mayor, Milan Ledenko, said that about 1,500 Serbs have returned to that municipality and about 1,000 Croats from Bosnia- Herzegovina live in that area. Security problems are also non- existent in that area but there exist other ones, tied to reconstruction. (hina) jn bag/rml 191702 MET jun 98