JELAVIC MUST CRUSH HARDLINERS' RESISTANCE - WESTENDORP

( Editorial: --> 0505 ) SARAJEVO, Sept 15 (Hina) - High Representative Carlos Westendorp on Tuesday said he expected constructive actions from Ante Jelavic, Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) candidate in the Bosnian elections, who has the best chances of winning the position of the Croat member of the state presidency. The position of the HDZ BiH is stronger than that of the New Croat Initiative (NHI), which is substantiated by all opinion polls, Westendorp said in an interview with today's issue of the Sarajevo daily "Oslobodjenje". Westendorp commended the fact that the HDZ programme for the first time included the return of Croat refugees to the northern Bosnian region of Posavina and central Bosnia. No HDZ leader had stated something like that before, he said adding that Jelavic's task would be to crush the opposition of hardliners within his own party. The High Representative said he would continue cooperating with both Jelavic and the NHI president Kresimir Zubak with the aim of regaining the trust of the Bosnian Croat community. Another task would be the reunification of Mostar, he added. The High Representative said he expected Zivko Radisic to be a good partner as the new Serb member of the B-H Presidency, describing him as a reasonable and honest person. The position of Party of Democratic Action (SDA) leader Alija Izetbegovic remains unchallenged but on parliamentary level the elections will bring considerable changes for Bosniak (Muslim) officials, Westendorp said. (hina) rml 151410 MET sep 98