OSCE REPORTS IRREGULARITIES IN VOTERS' REGISTRATION IN ZEPCE

SARAJEVO, 23 June (Hina) - The members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) who are supervising the registration of voters for the upcoming municipal elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina have registered numerous irregularities in the registration of voters in the area of Zepce, central Bosnia, and decided that the procedure should be repeated. #L# David Foley, spokesman for the OSCE mission in Sarajevo, on Monday said that voters' application forms were checked after it had been reported that persons who have permanent residence in Maglaj and Zavidovici were registering for the elections in Zepce. OSCE supervisors confirmed that an unusually large number of displaced people from Zepce had registered for the elections in the period between 7 and 12 June, Foley said. It was established later that they all had fake residence registration forms and forged refugee cards. OCSE supervisors found a large number of deposited residence certificates and refugee cards in the Zepce police station. The centre for registration of voters in Zepce was closed on Saturday and all voters who had registered in the centre as displaced persons will have to submit their registration forms again. Those registration forms will be additionally checked, Foley said. Additional OSCE supervisors will be sent to Zepce. The renewed registration procedure will include regulations set previously for the area of Brcko, where similar irregularities had been reported. However, in the case of Zepce, there will be no extension of the registration deadline and the registration will be completed on 28 June, Foley said. (hina) rm 231325 MET jun 97