HOMELAND WAR VOLUNTEERS MEET FOR CONVENTION IN VUKOVAR

VUKOVAR, Oct 24 (Hina) - The Association of Croatian Homeland War Volunteers (UHBDDR) met for their fifth regular convention in Vukovar on Saturday. Participants in the convention unanimously re-elected Branko Borkovic as UHBDDR president and adopted the programme for 1999, stressing the importance of establishing a single Homeland war volunteers' association and improving care for their problems. The conference, which was to take place at the Community Hall in Borovo Naselje, was several hours late because UHBDDR members requested that the Serb national minority flag - displayed on the Community Hall building several meters above the Croatian state flag - be put at the same level with the Croatian flag. The Serb flag has for quite some time been displayed above the Croatian state flag on the Community Hall building, which also houses the offices of the Serb Democratic Independent Party (SDSS) and Joint Council of Municipalities. The flag was removed by UHBDDR members, in the presence of police officers, after which the conference began. However, part of the volunteers refused to enter the building because of the incident with the flag, which was in the meantime returned and put alongside the Croatian state flag. Following a call by the UHBDDR president Borkovic for volunteers to maintain their dignity and avoid incidents, the volunteers held the conference on the Community Hall terrace, while some 30 of them, protesting against the incident, walked out of the convention and left Vukovar. (hina) rml