OSCE WILL NOT TOLERATE VIOLENCE BY RADICAL SERBS

( Editorial: --> 1472 ) SARAJEVO, Sept 18 (Hina) - Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina head Robert Barry on Friday cautioned hardline political parties amongst the Bosnian Serbs, stating that their current behaviour could result in serious repercussions. He called on them to stop celebrating election victories before the counting of ballot papers had ended. During a visit to the vote counting centre in Lukavica near Sarajevo, Barry told journalists that the OSCE had sent a warning to the Radical Party headed by Nikola Poplasen, to stop organising gatherings which threatened the OSCE and its staff. I hope that this will stop them as we have received disturbing reports that members of this party had broken into radio stations and broadcasted fiery statements, Barry said. Meanwhile, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday released a statement which noted that members and officials of the Serb Radical Party (SRS) and the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) had threatened this organisation throughout the Serb entity in B-H. In the past two days demonstrations have been organised against the international organisation. The statement notes that the demonstrations and threats were obviously coordinated and that these events were in violation of election regulations as well as the laws of the Serb republic. The OSCE statement said that threats would not be tolerated. It continued that Ambassador Robert Barry forwarded letters to the presidents of the SRS and SDS, Nikola Poplasen and Dragan Kalinic, demanding that they undertake urgent steps so that this behaviour would cease. The OSCE welcomed measures introduced following these events undertaken by the police and the current Bosnian Serb authorities in preventing any violence on behalf of demonstrators. (Hina) sp jn /mbr 182014 MET sep 98