CAMPAIGN FOR BOSNIA MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS STARTS

SARAJEVO, July 21 (Hina) - The chief of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Robert Frowick, announced on Monday the official beginning of the campaign for 13-14 September municipal elections in the country. American Ambassador Frowick called on political parties' representatives to hold free, fair, open and peaceable discussions on all important issues, and advised voters to be informed very well about views of all candidates before they decide for whom they may cast their ballots at local elections. At a news conference in Sarajevo, he also appealed for a heavy turnout at the following polls. Frowick described the September elections as very important, since local authorities still included people who assumed those posts during the war and whose acts often hindered full implementation of the Dayton peace agreement. Preparations conducted in recent months created solid grounds for the administration of local elections although the situation in Bosnia had become complicated by a current crisis in the Serb entity, he said. According to him, a thorough strategy has been worked out for constitution of authorities to be elected at the municipal polls. The OSCE official cautioned that permanent democratisation of Bosnia could not be achieved as long as power and influence of ultra- nationalists were not eliminated. We demanded that for a year and half, he added. Frowick told the conference that a decision had not yet been made to which extend OSCE might participate in the conduct of elections for the Bosnian Serb entity's assembly after a former one was dissolved by Biljana Plavsic. It is a decision that should be made by the OSCE Permanent Council, he said and added that no official request had been submitted for this matter, although the Serb entity's president Plavsic asked whether this organisation was ready to monitor that election as well. This demanded an expansion of the current OSCE mandate in Bosnia, he said. (hina) mš 211414 MET jul 97