GOVT SUGGESTS THAT LOCAL ELECTIONS BE HELD ON MAY 20

RIJEKA, March 8 (Hina) - If the Croatian parliament accepts a proposal put forward at a government session on Thursday, local elections will be held on May 20. Commenting on a bill on the election of the representative bodies of local units, which, among else, determines the date of local elections, Prime Minister Ivica Racan suggested that regular local elections, organised every fourth year, be held on the third Sunday in May. This means that this year's local elections would be held on May 20. Today's government session in Rijeka was dedicated to the decentralisation of the state administration. Decentralisation, or the transfer of part of state powers to the local level, which is to commence on July 1 this year, means that 878 million kuna will be transferred from the state to local units, it was said at the session. The government formulated a package of laws which would accelerate the decentralisation process as of July 1, including a bill on a different form of financing of local administration and self- government. The bills formulated today would increase the influence of local self-government bodies in the areas of health and social care, secondary education and culture. The package also includes a bill on local and regional self- government. (hina) rml