RECONSTRUCTION OF ILOK SLIGHTLY STAGNATING

( Editorial: --> 0840 ) ILOK, Sept 16 (Hina) - The reconstruction of Croatia's easternmost town of Ilok is beginning to slightly stagnate, municipal representatives told reporters on Wednesday. Of 550 houses which were damaged in the Serbian aggression, 100 are being reconstructed and works are soon to be completed. The municipal leaders expressed hope that the reconstruction of another 100 houses would start soon. Local factories employ 570 people who are all returnees. The town leadership wants to employ another 500 people but that will depend on the revival of production in the local firms, which is to cost about US $10 million. At the same time, the debts of those firms, amounting to US $4.2 million, would be rescheduled, while US $2.4 million in debts to state funds would be written off. Ilok Mayor Stipan Kraljevic informed reporters about the forthcoming changes in the municipal leadership, which currently has 13 members. Of that number, nine are Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) members and four are from the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS). Considering the current ethnic composition of Ilok, the town leadership is willing to propose that a Slovak be elected to the post of deputy mayor instead of the present Serb deputy mayor. More than 1,000 Slovaks live in Ilok. According to municipal data, 72 families who arrived from other parts of Croatia during the liberation of territories under Serb occupation, live in Ilok currently. More than half of those families have expressed a wish to sell their property and leave Croatia. Four families said they wanted to stay in the Danube region while other families said they wanted to return to their homes elsewhere in Croatia. (hina) jn rml/sp 161758 MET sep 98