ZAGREB, Feb 13 (Hina) - Representatives of the government and the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) have agreed that all cases of unlawfully occupied property should be settled by the end of June, while all other cases in which
people have papers on property restitution should be settled by the end of the year, a minister said on Friday.
ZAGREB, Feb 13 (Hina) - Representatives of the government and the
Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) have agreed that all cases of
unlawfully occupied property should be settled by the end of June,
while all other cases in which people have papers on property
restitution should be settled by the end of the year, a minister said
on Friday.#L#
Briefing reporters about today's talks, Sea, Tourism, Transport and
Development Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said they focused on the
realisation of certain provisions from an agreement the ruling
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the SDSS signed after
parliamentary elections last November.
The government and SDSS representatives pointed to the need of
urgently adjusting the statutes and other documents of local
self-government units to the constitutional law on ethnic minorities'
rights.
Kalmeta said it had been agreed that a meeting would be held with a
view to jointly creating a climate of mutual confidence on the ground.
The meeting will gather the prime minister, ministers, prefects,
mayors, and representatives of Croatian returnees, exiled and
displaced Croats, the Serb Democratic Forum, and the Serb People's
Council.
SDSS vice-president Milorad Pupovac assessed today's talks as good and
open, saying that it had been agreed, with the government's
guarantees, to settle reconstruction-related issues and reinforce
political conditions necessary for property restitution.
"Prime Minister Sanader has shown full determination to implement the
(HDZ-SDSS) agreement and personally taken over supervision over the
restitution of seized property," Pupovac said. He added it had been
agreed that courts would examine and settle under urgent procedure all
cases of seized property restitution, while the government would
establish the number of flats at its disposal for use as alternative
accommodation for occupants of seized property.
Pupovac announced that the government, in joint bids to remove the
psychological and political obstacles to property restitution, should
adopt at one of its next sessions a decision under which no one could
refuse adequate alternative accommodation.
Asked if the government has the sufficient number of such flats,
Minister Kalmeta answered in the affirmative, adding that a number of
them would be built, a number purchased, and a number allocated
through government-subsidised house-building.
(Hina) ha sb