BOSNIAN SERBS AGAIN REJECT "QUICK-START PACKAGE" OF LAWS

SARAJEVO, June 9 (Hina) - Bosnian Serbs, on Monday evening rejected a demand of the High Representative's office and the Contact Group to support the adoption of already harmonised laws by Bosnia-Herzegovina's Parliament. Krajisnik (Bosnian collective Presidency's Serb member) did not move an inch, a spokesman for the High Representative's office said commenting on last night's talks a German diplomat, Michael Steiner, had led at Pale (Bosnian Serb stronghold). The spokesman, Colum Murphy, added that the international community did not intent to change its stand. He explained that on the ground of Sintra decisions, the international community strongly supported the holding a donors' conference for Bosnia's reconstruction, but money would not be given to those who failed to cooperate. The donors' conference could not be again delayed. It would be a conference for the whole of Bosnia, as the entire country needed this, Murphy said in Sarajevo. He underscored that the old, primitive and pre-historical obstruction tactics would not be allowed to halt the modernisation of Bosnia in peace. Murphy confirmed that Pale authorities wanted a customs rate law to be excluded from the so-called quick-start package of draft laws, harmonised before the conference in Sintra, Portugal, as they held that it was the entities rather than the State which should deal with this task. Murphy described such interpretation as a fallacy and said that seven harmonised laws represented a firm package. It was not a menu from which everybody could choose what they wish, he added. He also indirectly confirmed that this sudden change in Pale's policy was caused by the stand of Radovan Karadzic who allegedly demanded last week from other Serb leaders to refuse the previously harmonised customs draft law. Murphy said that the High Representative's office believed that last night's conduct of Momcilo Krajisnik reflected the influence of the 'lurking persuader'. On Monday, Michael Steiner said to reporters in Sarajevo that he did not care what Karadzic (a war crimes suspect) was doing, as he should be in The Hague. Replying to a journalist's question, Murphy said in Tuesday that he maintained that in spite of all, Bosnian Serbs would not be able to block the work of joint bodies of authority in Bosnia. They might appear or not at sessions, but the donors' conference would be held, Murphy said. (hina) mm mš 101346 MET jun 97