CRO LOWER HOUSE ADOPTS REPORT OF COMMISSION FOR DETAINED & MISSING PERSONS

MISSING PERSONS ( Editorial: --> 2777 ) ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Representatives on Friday adopted a report on the work of the Commission for Detained and Missing Persons relating to the period between November 27, 1996 and October 21, 1997. The parliament bound the government to ensure sufficient funds for exhumations, and to continue cooperation with relevant world institutions and experts which use the DNA method for identification. The parliament also suggested that, in de-mining plans, the government should focus on mass and single grave sites of Homeland War victims. The Lower House bound the government to increase the number of experts for offering psychological and social assistance to families of detained and missing persons. According to the report adopted today, data on 353 persons have been found between November 27, 1996 and October 21, 1997. The tracing of 2,197 is currently in course. The Croatian Lower House also adopted amendments to the law on the organization and domain of ministries and state administrative organizations. A ministry of Homeland War defenders and a state inspectorate have thus been established. The state administration for environment protection is now also competent for the protection of the natural heritage. The newly-established Homeland War defenders ministry will clear issues of Croatian defenders and disabled war veterans, as well as of all other categories of Homeland War victims. The Lower House also accepted conclusions of the Labour, Social Policy and Health Committee under which a department for psychological and social assistance for missing, detained and forcibly taken away persons should be set within the health ministry. The Lower House ratified two agreements between Croatia and Italy: on the admission of persons whose stay is illegal, and on social insurance. The Lower House once again postponed voting on a final bill on education in languages of ethnic and national communities or minorities, which had been discussed in June in a third reading and postponed hence. The explanation for today's postponement was an insufficient number of attending representatives. The House of Representatives today concluded its 23rd session. (hina) ha jn 211919 MET nov 97