BOSNIA'S FEDERATION LOWER HOUSE HOLDS CONSTITUENT SESSION

SARAJEVO, Nov 6 (Hina) - The (Croat-Bosniac) Federation Parliament's 140-seat House of Representatives held the constituent session in Sarajevo on Wednesday. The first session was also attended by senior officials of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. At the beginning 140 mandates of parliamentarians from 10 political parties were verified. The (Moslem-led) Party of Democratic Action has 78 representatives, Bosnia's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ B-H) has 36, the Joint List of opposition parties has 11, the Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina has 10, the Democratic People's Union (DNZ) has three and the Croatian Party of Rights has two representatives. A proposal for verifying the mandates of all present deputies received a majority of votes. But 13 parliamentarians voted against it, and 11 abstained. Two SDA representatives were against the proposal insisting that mandates of the DNZ parliamentarians could not be confirmed, as that party was led by Fikret Abdic (accused by Moslem leaders in Bosnia of being traitor and war criminal). Mirsad Veladzic (the Una-Sana canton governor) of SDA said the DNZ representatives were "criminals responsible for genocide," and demanded from the House of Representatives to rescind the mandates of the DNZ party deputies, and to let police arrest them. Deputies of the DNZ, Ibrahim Dedovic and Hamdija Mulalic, resolutely rejected accusations and asked for the respect for the Dayton agreement provisions referring to freedom in carrying out mandate of parliamentarians elected freely by Bosnia's citizens. A member of the SDA, Abdulah Konjicija was appointed as a temporary speaker of the House of representatives, and a deputy of the HDZ B-H, Stjepan Mikic was named his deputy. The House adopted proposals for the coat-of-arms and the flag of the Federation, already approved by Kresimir Zubak and Alija Izetbegovic. It also passed the law on the flag and the coat-of-arms and amendments to the law on seal. The Parliament's House of Peoples will hold its constituent session on Wednesday afternoon. (hina) jn mš 061614 MET nov 96