OSCE PRESIDENT DEMANDS GUARANTEES FOR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN BH

SARAJEVO, August 20 (Hina) - President of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Swiss Foreign Minister Flavio Cotti, on his Tuesday visit to Sarajevo requested additional guarantees from all sides to ensure democratic rights and freedoms, freedom of movement in particular, in the period leading to the Bosnian September elections and on election day. Cotti said that some, but insufficient, progress had been made so far. Bosnian Federation President Kresimir Zubak, who talked with Cotti, confirmed that federal authorities' bodies would do everything in their power for the elections to be held in a fair and democratic atmosphere. "Today's negotiations between officials of the Party of Democratic Action and the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia- Herzegovina are also related to establishing complete freedom and security and preventing incidents which have occurred until now", Zubak told reporters. Cotti expressed worry and interest in the situation on the ground just prior to the elections, saying he was "particularly worried about the issue of freedom of movement. I think that, if some sort of freedom of movement is established, conditions for correct elections will exist". Cotti was encouraged by Zubak's guarantees and pointed out that sides in Bosnia had the obligation to guarantee freedom of movement, which referred to Bosnian Serb authorities as well. "Organizers of the elections must now be given the opportunity to act, while people the opportunity to express their will", Cotti said, adding that the September elections were, however, only the first step on the long path of reconstructing democracy and economic development in BH. (hina) ha 201750 MET aug 96