PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS STAGED IN BOSNIAN FEDERATION OVER BRCKO

SARAJEVO, Dec 4 (Hina) - The Coalition for a Unified and Democratic Bosnia-Herzegovina (CD Coalicija), led by the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), on Friday organised a peaceful demonstration in the Croat-Bosniak Bosnian Federation ahead of an arbitration decision on the town of Brcko. Peaceful demonstrations were held in Bihac, Zenica and Tuzla, as well as in Sarajevo headed by the Bosniak member of the Bosnia- Herzegovina Presidency, Alija Izetbegovic, and co-chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Haris Silajdzic. Demonstrators carried banners calling for a decision which would return Brcko to Bosniaks (Bosnian Moslems) and thus contribute to the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. The northern Bosnian town of Brcko was mostly populated by Bosniaks and a Croat minority before the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. At the start of the war, Serbs occupied the town in order to create a corridor between the Bosnian Serb entity and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After two unsuccessful attempts in arbitration, the town has been placed under an international supervisor. An international arbitration tribunal, headed by American Roberts Owen, should at the beginning of next year reach a final decision of the status of the town of Brcko. (hina) lml