AGREEMENT SIGNED ON REORGANISING HERCEG-BOSNA CANTON POLICE

( Editorial: --> 0141 ) LIVNO, April 28 (Hina) - Herceg-Bosna Canton leaders, UN representatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the International Police Task Force (IPTF) signed an agreement on the reorganisation of the Herceg-Bosna Canton police, in Livno (south-west Bosnia) on Tuesday. The agreement was signed by Canton Prefect Mirko Bakovic, the canton government president Filip Andric, the head of the UN Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Elizabeth Rehn, and IPTF commissioner Richard Monk. According to the agreement, Herceg-Bosna Canton police are to employ 26 Serbs and 15 Bosniaks by 9 May. Of the 26 Serb police officers, 16 will be employed with the Drvar police force. By 1 January 1999, a total of 60 Serb and 26 Bosniak police officers will be employed with the canton police. Their employment will be confirmed by IPTF. According to the agreement, a canton deputy interior minister of Serb or Bosniak nationality will be chosen by the canton prefect. His appointment will be confirmed by IPTF. Canton insignia will remain the same until new talks and a change to the Federation's constitutional regulation on that question. Croat police officers who will lose their jobs due to the reorganisation of the police force, will be employed by IPTF in other Federation cantons or in the Bosnian Serb entity, as part of the programme on employment of minority police officers. After the signing, Elizabeth Rehn said the agreement would improve freedom of movement and equality of all citizens and added that she and the High Representative had insisted on an ethnically representative police structure. (hina) jn rm/mrb 281616 MET apr 98