MP OPPOSES INT PRESSURE ON CROATIA "ON ACCOUNT OF SERBS"

( Editorial: --> 1204 ) VUKOVAR, August 1 (Hina) - A Croatian Serb MP says it is vital for Serbs in Croatia to "get rid of the burdens of recent history and the failures of various Serb politicians and their corrupt options". Veselin Pejnovic, chief secretary of the Initiative for the Serb National Congress, made the statement during a press conference in Vukovar on Saturday jointly held with Rade Leskovac, president of the new PPS party of Serbs in the Danube River region of eastern Croatia. Leskovac claimed that most Serbs had totally different views from those which are "heard every day in small doses from some Serbs in Croatia". Pejnovic agreed and said that the real thinking of the majority of Serbs, especially those who had left Croatia, was totally different to those politicians. He added he did not expect 100,000 Serbs would return to Croatia, because for this to be realised there had to be economic and social perspectives which still did not exist in the country. Pejnovic said now it was more important for "a thousand or two thousand economically strong Serbs" to return to Croatia, "who would be the basis for later return of other Serbs who want to". The Croatian parliamentarian also opposed international pressures on Croatia "on account of Serbs", because losing in this way were both Croatia and Serbs who had no alternative but to live in the country. "Serbs in a general plan cannot do anything more in Croatia. Attempts by some Serbs to do something more is a matter of personal conceit," Pejnovic said in answer to his relations with the Serb Independent Democratic Party (SDSS), the main Serb party in the Danube region. Speaking about crimes committed during the aggression on Croatia and a possible apology to the Croatian people, Pejnovic said every perpetrator had a name and surname and that he could not apologise to anyone for something he personally did not do. "This is of concern to the Croatian police, justice system and state," he said, urging for an equal treatment of every perpetrator whether they were Serb or Croat. Leskovac said the PPS would first urge for the reconstruction of Vukovar and then turn towards political activities. He said the eastern Croatian city had to be the starting point of every Vukovar resident. "There is no Vukovar without Croats. Our aim is total national reconciliation," the PPS leader said. He added his party had sent an invitation to National Trust Establishment Committee chairwoman Vesna Skare-Ozbolt to have a working meeting with the PPS. Leskovac said it could not be expected that the Croatian state would invest huge funds for reconstruction of the Danube region. "Croats did not devastate or impoverish this area, and thus we cannot ask the Croatian state to give more preference to us than any other, also impoverished areas," he said. (Hina) mbr 011803 MET aug 98