CRO GOVT DEMANDS ELECTIONS IN DANUBIAN AREA TAKE PLACE IN DEC

ZAGREB, July 30 (Hina) - The Croatian government will on Wednesday forward a demand to UNTAES Transitional Administrator General Jacques Klein that elections in the Croatian Danubian area be scheduled in December 1996, since there were no significant reasons for the elections not to take place, Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa told a press conference in Zagreb on Tuesday. Matesa pointed out that the government and Klein had agreed on the opening of border crossings to the neighbouring states, the first of which, Udvar, between Baranja and Hungary, will be opened on 15 August. Croatia was satisfied with the way UNTAES was fulfilling its mandate, every day getting closer to our goal, with the positive aspects of the process outnumbering the negative, Matesa said. He added that due to the way the peaceful reintegration was being implemented, there was no need to extend UNTAES' mandate, and until now neither side had officially demanded it. Asked to comment on a European Union (EU) protest note to Croatia and the situation in Mostar, the Croatian Premier said that "unfortunately the European Union can't say that it gave anything particular to Croatia that it will in an way refuse". He added that this did not change Croatia's basic decision to become a member of the EU and other European integrations, since this was of vital importance to Croatia and its economy. As regards Mostar, Matesa said that the most sensible proposal was the one that the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina give its adjudication which would respect both the Croat and Muslim side. He concluded by saying that until now crisis situations in Mostar had been solved by agreements, as would happen now as well. (hina) ha mm 301547 MET jul 96