BILDT WELCOMES POSTPONEMENT OF BOSNIA'S LOCAL ELECTIONS

SARAJEVO, Oct 23 (Hina) - The postponement of municipal elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina may help the process of implementing the peace agreement to continue in the right direction, a spokesman for the office of the international community's High Representative, Colum Murphy, said on Wednesday. High Representative Carl Bildt welcomed and supported the decision by OSCE mission chief Robert Frowick to delay municipal elections, Murphy told a news conference in Sarajevo. Bildt left for Brussels on Wednesday to meet NATO Council members for talks on long-term plans for cooperation between the military and civilian structures of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Murphy said. A spokesman for the NATO-led peace Implementation Force (IFOR), Bratt Boudreau, said that IFOR troops would now focus their attention on ensuring compliance with the military aspects of the Dayton peace agreement and providing support to organizations rebuilding the country or trying to implement political reforms. In the first week of November the NATO Council was expected to discuss plans for deployment of military forces in Bosnia- Herzegovina in 1997, Boudreau added. (hina) vm jn 231435 MET oct 96