OSCE SATISFIED WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULTS

SARAJEVO, Oct 30 (Hina) - Deputy chief of the OSCE mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Robert Elerckman, said on Thursday that the process of establishment of new municipal bodies of authority in the country was proceeding well, and there were significant problems only in ten municipalities. Nine municipal councils had so far held sessions, and 41 other municipalities were expected to do so by the end of next week, Elerckman told reporters in Sarajevo. He recalled that this was the first time that an international organisation had the task not only to organise the elections, but also to ensure the implementation of the results. The whole process was proceeding significantly more easily than had been expected, he stressed. Elerckman mentioned Srebrenica and Zepce as examples of problematic municipalities, because the newly-elected councilors were being threatened with arrest for the suspicion of war crimes, or were being accused of switching parties. He stressed that local authorities in Srebrenica and Velika Kladusa had been warned that arrests for the suspicion of war crimes could take place only if the International Tribunal in The Hague had initiated appropriate proceedings. At municipal elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina held this September, 4,984 candidates from 79 parties and nine party alliances were elected, and according to information from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the first negotiations on the establishment of new authorities had taken place in half of both entities' 142 municipalities. It is our impression that most people want a quick establishment of the new authorities, expecting that this will speed up the solution of problems in the jurisdiction of the municipalities, Elerckman said. He added that preparations for parliamentary elections in the Bosnian Serb entity were being carried out well, stressing that OSCE had the necessary funds for their holding. The elections scheduled for 23 November would be supervised by a large number of observers at every polling station, Elerckman said. (hina) lm 301319 MET oct 97