DEVELOPMENT IN SERB ENTITY IS HOPE FOR CROATIA AND SERBIA - ALBRIGHT ( Editorial: --> 9140 )

( Editorial: --> 9140 ) ZAGREB/WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Hina) - According to US State Secretary Madeleine Albright, elections in Republika Srpska are opening democratic perspectives, thanks to the contribution of America, which, she hopes, will be realised in Croatia and Serbia. Albright spoke at a presentation of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) award to the mayor of Osijek, Zlatko Kramaric, Tuzla's mayor Selim Beslagic and Serbian politician Vesna Pesic. The US embassy delivered the speech of the US State Secretary of 5 November to the media in Zagreb on Friday. Estimating that the American institute had done "a tremendous job at very short notice in helping parties mount honest, effective campaigns" in the preparation of elections for the Republika Srpska Assembly, Albright continued, "We are striving to create a good climate for the vote. Independent media now reach most of the Republika Srpska ... We also know the real test will come later. The question is not who will win, but what will the winners do with their victory?" "Any election in which voters have a choice, independents have a voice, and the party of power cannot count on certain successes, will advance the cause of pluralism in Bosnia," Albright said, citing what President Clinton had said to President Jiang, that "out of the harmony of different views, there can emerge a coherence of loyalty to the nation because everyone has their say," which, according to Albright, "applies with equal force to Bosnia". "That is our hope for Serbia and Croatia as well. Unfortunately, neither country has fulfilled the obvious aspirations of its people for greater openness and freedom. Serbia is still a country where criminals are treated as privileged citizens, while dissidents are treated like criminals. As for Croatia, it has stepped up its cooperation with the War Crimes Tribunal, and we have responded accordingly. But Croatia remains a country where freedom of expression is suppressed and journalists are put on trial for telling unwelcome truths. We are going to do everything we can to help independent groups in these countries function openly and effectively. We will defend them with all the leverage we have. If their governments think we will lose interest in this effort, or that we need them too much to keep pressing so hard, they are wrong. They will rejoin Europe only as open, democratic societies," Albright said. Speaking about the reward recipients, Kramaric, Beslagic and Vesna Pasic, Albright said, "When you listen to them tonight, keep in mind that according to some of the cynics, these three brave people do not exist. You see, they come from Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia. They believe in multi-ethnic democracy. And they do not only speak openly about it - they have attracted broad support and become leaders in their communities". (hina) lm 072032 MET nov 97