GANIC'S VISIT TO STOLAC WAS NOT PREVENTED BY CROAT OLICE

MOSTAR, 20 May (Hina) - The Interior Ministry of the Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia on Monday refuted information published by the Sarajevo press according to which on May 19 the Croat police in the Mostar suburb of Kovacine had allegedly stopped the car with the vice president of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Ejup Ganic inside, and prevented him and a group of Bosniac citizens from visiting the town of Stolac, 20 km southeast of Mostar. #L# A statement, issued by the Herzeg-Bosnian Interior Ministry, said that on May 19 'a political meeting was organised in Stolac. The meeting was to gather political leaders of the Croat and Bosniac peoples, and at the same time a group of 40 Stolac residents, currently living in eastern Mostar, was to arrive in the town. However, some 300 Bosniacs who wanted to visit Stolac as well, gathered in the suburb of Kovacine. When they were told that their visit had not been agreed upon, they stopped the car with Ejup Ganic inside, refused to let it pass for three hours and eventually prevented his visit to Stolac', the statement said. At 3.15 pm, Ganic left for Stolac. When he arrived there, he was told that the meeting was over and that the Croat officials had left the town. After that, Ejup Ganic returned to eastern Mostar, under the escort of Stolac police officers. (hina) rm mm 202042 MET may 96