MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN BH POSTPONED DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

PROBLEMS $ SARAJEVO, Mar 7 (Hina) - Spokesman for the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Bosnia- Herzegovina (BH), Johan Verheyden, on Friday said that the decision to postpone municipal elections in BH to 13 and 14 September 1997 was due exclusively to technical problems, and not lack of money, as previously supposed. Both the OSCE and the international community had demanded of us high standards in the holding of elections, Verheyden told a press conference in Sarajevo, adding that this was the reason behind the decision to register voters in advance and to provide international supervision at the 420 registration centres and the 2.300 polling stations. According to the OSCE spokesman, the organization was still ready to support the holding of municipal elections in Mostar, but only if the results of last year's elections were complied with beforehand. This would mean that functioning joint bodies of authority would have to be established, Verheyden said, and added that the City Council should be allowed to be situated in the building of the Court. The OSCE spokesman confirmed that at the moment preparations were being made as if municipal elections in Mostar were to be held this year again, but pointed out that these plans could change anytime. Spokesman for the Stabilization Force (SFOR), Andrew Saddleton, said that in the next few weeks, the SFOR command would draft plans to support the OSCE mission, with the aim to enable the holding of elections in the set time. (hina) ha mm 071528 MET mar 97