SPLIT, Oct 23 (Hina) - The early elections for the Dubrovnik-+Neretva County Assembly, held on October 11, were free and fair and +no irregularities were reported, Organisation for Security and +Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) officials
told reporters in Split on +Friday.+ Jochen Hayungs, head of the OSCE Split office, said that the only +objection was that non-government organisations - the Croatian +Helsinki Committee (HHO) and Organised Supervision of Voting by +Citizens (GONG) - were not allowed to monitor the voting at all +polling stations.+ OSCE is satisfied with the fact that the security situation in the +Knin area was, after a long period of time, stable during September. +There were some cases of intimidation of Serbs but the police acted +timely and appropriately.+ Since the beginning of September, two people were killed in several +incidents which occurred in the Lika-Senj County an
SPLIT, Oct 23 (Hina) - The early elections for the Dubrovnik-
Neretva County Assembly, held on October 11, were free and fair and
no irregularities were reported, Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) officials told reporters in Split on
Friday.
Jochen Hayungs, head of the OSCE Split office, said that the only
objection was that non-government organisations - the Croatian
Helsinki Committee (HHO) and Organised Supervision of Voting by
Citizens (GONG) - were not allowed to monitor the voting at all
polling stations.
OSCE is satisfied with the fact that the security situation in the
Knin area was, after a long period of time, stable during September.
There were some cases of intimidation of Serbs but the police acted
timely and appropriately.
Since the beginning of September, two people were killed in several
incidents which occurred in the Lika-Senj County and were directed
against Serb returnees.
In three instances perpetrators used explosive devices, planted
intentionally to injure returnees to the areas of Gospic, Otocac
and Korenica, said William Ozkaptan, head of the OSCE office in
Korenica, in the Lika-Senj County.
He called on the police to prevent new incidents.
Zadar OSCE office head Jeremy Ansley stressed that the OSCE's main
concern in the Zadar area was the village of Murvica, whose
residents openly opposed the return of Serbs and were supported by
local officials.
Murvica is a very troublesome area with high tensions, Ansley said
adding that OSCE was trying to reconcile the two sides so that
return could be possible.
Croats from Janjevo, Kosovo, continue to settle in the municipality
of Kistanje, said Knin OSCE office head Stefano Gnocchi.
More than 70 Kosovo Croats settled in Kistanje in the last several
months and they continue to move into abandoned houses, Gnocchi
said.
Housing commissions remain the main problem in the implementation
of the government return programme, OSCE officials agreed adding
that some housing commissions had begun functioning only
recently.
Asked about the fate of Croat refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina and
other countries, who wish to stay in Croatia, international
officials said those refugees had the right to permanent
accommodation in Croatia, but the property that was not theirs had
to be returned to its real owners.
The OSCE officials also announced local radio programmes about the
role of their mission in Croatia noting that the general population
was not acquainted very well with their activities.
(hina) rml