AGREEMENT ON FOUNDING MOSTAR MUNICIPAL COUNCILS SIGNED ( Editorial: --> 1802 )

( Editorial: --> 1802 ) MOSTAR, Nov 18 (Hina) - Local Croat and Bosniac authorities and representatives of international organisations on Tuesday signed an agreement on the establishment of Mostar's six municipal councils. The councils' constitutive sessions are to be held on Monday, 24 November. The Agreement envisages that heads and presidents of municipal councils be elected from the currently ruling political party or coalition, and their deputies from the second party or coalition in power (and a different nationality), as had been stated in the town's statute. The Agreement envisaged that the municipal heads, presidents and their deputies be elected at the first municipal council session, by 31 December at the latest. If these measures were not implemented by that date, the results of municipal elections would not be confirmed, the agreement said. Head of the International High Representative's office in Mostar, Martin Garrod, said he was enthusiastic about the Agreement, stressing it was a big, but only first step. He added that the Mostar City Council also had to be established, the mayor and deputy mayor elected and the Mostar city administration set up. Head of the OSCE Office in Mostar, David Foley, expressed satisfaction with the Agreement. He said the Agreement created the basis for progress in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and in the realisation of peace in Mostar, stressing that the international community would invest efforts into accelerating the process. (hina) lm 181923 MET nov 97