CASADO SIGNS AMENDMENTS TO DECREE ON ELECTIONS IN MOSTAR

MOSTAR, June 1 (Hina/Habena) - EU Administrator for Mostar Ricardo Perez Casado on Saturday signed amendments to the regulations for electing the City Council and City Municipal Councils, Bosnian Croat news agency Habena reported. #L# The amendments said: "The City Electoral Commission is to draw up electoral lists on the basis of the 1991 census and police registers, which they will publish. The decision on the announcement of the elections is to be made by the EU Administrator. The decision is to be published in the official paper of the EU Administration and other public papers. Electoral commissions are the city electoral commission and commissions of the city municipalities. Members of the electoral commission are responsible for voting abroad and should be proposed by parties taking part in the elections and appointed by the EU Administrator. The electoral commission responsible for voting abroad is subordinate to the city electoral commission. Citizens are to suggest candidates for the councils and every candidate has to be supported by a certain number of voters' signatures. Twenty five signatures for the municipalities' lists and 50 signatures for the city list are needed to make the submitted list of the electorate valid. The electoral commission responsible for elections abroad are to determine the way to establish the validity of the signatures for independent lists from abroad. The decision is to be accepted by the city electoral commission and the supervisory commission. The number of candidates on every list cannot be less than the number of councilors who are to be chosen and cannot be more than twice their number. Beside the name and surname of every candidate, the list should specify his or her nationality. The list of candidates is to be submitted to the electoral commission, including a written statement from the candidates on accepting the nomination within 20 days before the day of the elections. The list of candidates from abroad may be sent by fax or mail. The advertisement on confirming the lists is to be put up in every electoral unit, in different places abroad and in the EU Administration's official paper. If necessary, the lists can be made public in local media. Citizens are to excursive their right to vote in municipalities where they had been registered in the 1991 census. Citizens who live abroad may vote in polling stations in a number of European countries. Citizens who live in the Central Zone will be registered in electoral lists of the Central Zone. Their active and passive electoral right is limited to the city council (a ballot which is valid for the whole town). If the citizen legally and voluntarily changed his residence within Mostar after the 1991 census, he has the right to be registered on the list of that municipality where his new residence is and exercise his right to vote and be voted. The amendments take effect on the day of the EU Administrator's signing and will be published immediately," the amendments said. (hina) lm 011852 MET jun 96