POOR TURNOUT OF BOSNIAN VOTERS IN CROATIA ON SATURDAY

( Editorial: --> 3029 ) ZAGREB, Nov 23 (Hina) - In Croatia, all 63 polling stations were closed at 07.00 pm Saturday where Bosnia-Herzegovina's citizens could cast their absentee ballots for the two-day parliamentary elections of the Bosnian Serb entity. On Saturday, a total of 4,276 Bosnian refugees went to the polls, the Croatian government's office for the displaced and refugees said on Saturday night. The turnout was poor as only about 11 percent of 38,750 eligible voters from the Republic of Srpska, accommodated in Croatia, cast their ballots on the first day of the vote. The elections proceeded with no difficulty on Saturday, the same sources added. On Sunday, 60 polling stations should be opened from 08.00 am to 04.00 pm as three stations on Krk, Obonjan and in Vukovar were opened only on Saturday. Refugees from the Bosnian Serb entity, registered for the September Bosnia local elections, have the right to cast their ballots at the same polling stations in Croatia which were available to them during the September vote. Most of these 38,750 registered voters from the Serb entity are in Zagreb and Slavonski Brod. OSCE supervisors controlled the procedure of the elections at all polling stations in Croatia on Saturday. Besides, 87 OSCE monitors also observed the vote in Croatia. (hina) mš 230944 MET nov 97