WESTENDORP DECLARES PRIVATISATION LAW FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

( Editorial: --> 9290 ) SARAJEVO, July 22 (Hina) - International High Representative for the implementation of Dayton accord, Carlos Westendorp, on Wednesday declared the enforcement of the Banks and Enterprises Privatisation Act which will be valid on the whole of Bosnian territory. The decision was made after the Bosnian Parliament's House of the People rejected the act proposal at its Wednesday session in Sarajevo even though it had earlier been accepted by the Council of Ministers and the House of Representatives. Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) representatives voted against the state privatisation act, with the explanation that its enforcement would "threaten privatisation" in the Bosnian Serb entity. A statement released by Westendorp's office on Wednesday emphasised that the rejection of this act on the grounds of such distorted interpretation was totally unacceptable and contrary to earlier agreements. Such an obstruction could only be interpreted as an attempt to threaten the economic recovery process, the privatisation act being a crucial part of it. This was also an attempt to allow discrimination to dominate the process. Westendorp's office demands Bosnian authorities implement the privatisation act immediately, following the principle of non- discrimination and public scrutiny. (Hina) is jn/mbr 222128 MET jul 98