IZETBEGOVIC INVITES SANCTIONS

( Editorial: --> 8334 ) SARAJEVO, July 17 (Hina) - The Sarajevo declaration which envisages the return of at least 20,000 non-Muslim refugees to the Bosnian capital by the end of this year will go down the drain if conditions for the two-way return are not created, the President of the Bosnian Presidency Alija Izetbegovic said. Izetbegovic, who is also the head of the (Muslim) Party of Democratic Action (SDA) on Friday held a press conference in Sarajevo, which marked the beginning of election campaigning of the Coalition for an Integral and Democratic Bosnia-Herzegovina. The SDA is the Coalition's most important member. Requests for the return of refugees to only one part of the country are not acceptable, Izetbegovic said. "We will not evict refugees and soldiers even if we have to face sanctions. Let the international community use my words and impose sanctions against Sarajevo," Izetbegovic said. Izetbegovic rejected accusations saying that Sarajevo authorities were doing nothing to facilitate the return of non-Bosniaks. Since the beginning of this year, about 3,000 non-Muslim refugees have returned to Sarajevo, he said. The right solution would be for the international community to secure funds for the reconstruction of 10,000 damaged flats, which would create return conditions, he said. Commenting on a joint visit of Bosnia-Herzegovina Opposition to Brussels where they signed a special protocol on cooperation, Izetbegovic accused the eight Opposition parties of "seeking NATO's air support in order to seize power in Bosnia-Herzegovina". If Europe and the United States really wanted to remove me from power, I would be the target of such attempts only because I am a Muslim and the SDA is a Muslim party, Izetbegovic said. (hina) jn rml 171705 MET jul 98