BOSNIAK OFFICIALS DISAPPOINTED WITH DECISION ON BRCKO

( Editorial: --> 9855 ) SARAJEVO/BRCKO/BANJA LUKA March 15 (Hina) - All Bosniak officials who were involved in solving the problem of the status of Brcko expressed disappointment with the stance of the international community concerning the latest postponement of the final decision on Brcko. Reactions among the highest Bosnian Serb officials were similar. A member of the Arbitration Tribunal for Brcko from the Croat- Muslim Federation, Cazim Sadikovic, said he did not sign the decision on postponing the solution of the status of Brcko because he saw it as a political and not a legally-based decision. "What prevailed here were political estimations of the situation in Republika Srpska," said Sadikovic, adding he was especially dissatisfied because of "the brutal disregard for compromise solutions offered by the Federation". The president of the Bosniak municipality of Brcko, Munib Jusufovic, said the international community was not principled in accepting today's decision, as it had neither strength nor will to face the real problems which exist in the Brcko area. Federation Premier Edhem Bicakcic showed more optimism saying that the decision of arbiter Roberts Owen would not stop efforts aimed at creating such a situation in Brcko which would correspond with the 1991 census. Jusufovic promised pre-war residents of Brcko that all those who wanted to return to Brcko would be able to do so, adding that Serbs from the Federation, currently living in Brcko, would be able to return to their homes as well. At a press conference in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic said that future actions would have considerable influence on the final fate of Brcko. Authorities of the Serb entity would fulfil all obligations placed before them by the decision adopted today. Premier Milorad Dodik warned that worse solutions could have happened if there had not been for the policy conducted by his government and president Plavsic. (hina) rm , 152110 MET mar 98