MINE CLEARANCE BEGINS IN 'BARANJA TRIANGLE'

OSIJEK, Dec 16 (Hina) - The Croatian Government's Office for Establishment of Croatian Authorities in the Croatian Danubian Area held a session in Osijek on Monday, under the chairmanship of Ivica Vrkic. The session revolved around the course of the peaceful reintegration of the area in question. The session was attended by Serb reporters from the UN- administrated area, and this would be done in future, Ivica Vrkic said. The head of the centre for mine clearance, Major General Slavko Baric, spoke of the process of mine-sweeping in the Croatian Danubian area. Maj.Gen. Baric said the mine clearance had begun in "the Baranja triangle", the westernmost part of the occupied area, where the Croatian rule should be soon restored. The Croatian Government's Office head, Ivica Vrkic spoke of the forthcoming elections. He said all citizens would have the right to vote, but they would be eligible to vote in their place or residence they had 1991 and not in towns and villages they were currently staying. He reiterated that the U.N.-administrated area remained within Osijek-Baranja County and Vukovar-Sirmium County, and stressed that there would not another formed county, what Serb representatives from the area in question had demanded. The transitional police deputy chief, Ivan Babic, announced reinforcements of Croatian policemen serving with the transitional police. Croatian Premier's advisor, Ivan Majdak, said that the reintegration process in agriculture would be completed by the end of February 1997. (hina) jn mš 161717 MET dec 96