SERB NATIONAL COUNCIL DEMANDS URGENT MEETING WITH CRO GOVT

( Editorial: --> 3062 ) ZAGREB, Mar 28 (Hina) - The Serb National Council (SNV) is dissatisfied with the speed with which the return of Serbs to their homes in Croatia and of their property is carried out, SNV president Milorad Pupovac told reporters Saturday after a closed session of the Council Presidency. The SNV will demand an urgent meeting with the Croatian government, Pupovac said. The SNV Presidency today adopted a programme of measures aimed at improving the life of Serbs in Croatia and decided that Pupovac and Serb Democratic Independent Party president Vojislav Stanimirovic continue working in the government's National Trust Establishment Committee until April 15. Pupovac told reporters that tomorrow in Vukovar he would acquaint the visiting United States President's special envoy for the former Yugoslavia Robert Gelbard with the basic problems of Croatian Serbs. Stanimirovic said he would acquaint Gelbard with facts related to the Serbs' return, the right to property management, and problems encountered in employment and media representation. He would also voice discontent at the Serbs' continued departure from Croatia, Stanimirovic told reporters. Speaking about Serbs from the Bosnian Serb entity, Pupovac said that for three years they have been without identity documents which prevents them from taking part in elections, either in the Bosnian Serb entity or Croatia, and even from visiting their homes in Croatia. (hina) ha 281826 MET mar 98