GOVT DRAFTS BILL ON TRANSFORMATION OF OWNERSHIP OF SOCIALLY-OWNED PROPERTY

PROPERTY ZAGREB, Oct 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Government sent to Parliament on Thursday a bill on the transformation of ownership of socially- owned assets managed by former sociopolitical organizations. During Communist rule, sociopolitical organizations included the League of Communists as the only political party, the Socialist Youth Association, the Association of National Liberation War (WW2) Veterans, and the Socialist Alliance of Working People. The property of former sociopolitical organizations is still socially owned in contravention of the Croatian Constitution which has abolished social ownership, a specific form of ownership that existed only in the former Communist Yugoslavia. In explanation of the bill, Justice Minister Miroslav Separovic said that the real estate would become first the property of the Republic of Croatia, after which the Government or its authorized ministry would be able to transfer it to political parties within a period of one year in accordance with standards yet to be set by Parliament. The Government proposed that the real estate used by the former Alliance of National Liberation War Veterans and the Socialist Youth Association be transferred to the ownership of associations of Croatian Patriotic War veterans and youth associations. The Government or a body authorized by it will draw up a list of property which will become the ownership of the Croatian state, except for property that will be returned to former owners in line with denationalization legislation. The Government adopted a report on final negotiations on concluding an agreement with the World Bank on a loan for the reconstruction of communications infrastructure and mine disposal. Finance Minister Bozo Prka said that the US$ 102 million loan would be used for the reconstruction of roads, the Lika railway line, 200 bridges in the war-ravaged areas, and the southern Adriatic port of Ploce. Croatia would provide one fifth of the funds for the project and would repay the loan over 15 years with a grace period of five years at an annual interest rate of less than eight per cent. The Government also sent to Parliament draft amendments to the Courts of Justice Act proposing the abolition of military courts. (hina) vm jn 101507 MET oct 96