HRT MUST CHANGE APPROACH TOWARDS PARTIES IN BOSNIA - OSCE

( Editorial: --> 4860 ) SARAJEVO, Aug 20 (Hina) - The Media Expert Commission (MEC) on Thursday send a request to the Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) to urgently change its manner of presenting political parties participating in the September elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The MEC, a section of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), warned that ignoring this request would result in punitive measures. The Centre's chairwoman Tanya Domi said at a press conference in Sarajevo that the HRT had been requested to ensure equal treatment of all political parties of Bosnia-Herzegovina in main news shows by midnight 23 August at the latest. It must also begin to present parties and candidates participating in the elections in a manner other television stations in the country do. The schedule of their appearing on shows must be chosen randomly, at the same time and same length of time. Domi stressed that this request had been sent because the talks so far with HRT representatives and Croatian authorities did not yield expected results, although they had been warned of the fact that the television network showed preference to the Croatian Democratic Union party of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH). We will follow closely whether these requests will be fulfilled. If they are not, the Electoral Commission will undertake the necessary steps, Domi said. OSCE mission chief in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Robert Barry, said that the Electoral Commission had the authority to remove candidates from elections lists if electoral rules and regulations are not followed. He stressed the OSCE's mandate did not include obstruction of HRT programmes. The Independent Media Commission will decide after the elections whether the HRT will be allowed to continue broadcasting in Bosnia. Barry stressed he had personally handed the international community's complaints on HRT programmes to Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Foreign Minister Mate Granic. Similar requests were also sent to the Serbian Radio and Television (RTS), but HRT programmes at this moment represented a priority, as they cover 60 per cent of Bosnia-Herzegovina. (hina) lml 201727 MET aug 98