PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION ON LETTER OF INTENT ENDS

ZAGREB, Jan 23 (Hina) - The Letter of the Croatian Government on the completion of peaceful reintegration of the UN administrated area (eastern Croatia) has strictly a function to step up peaceful reintegration through a resolution of the key problem, that is elections which are a precondition for the end of the mandate (of the UNTAES), a Croatian Deputy Prime Minister, Ivica Kostovic, said in response to parliamentarians' remarks, at the end of the discussion of the Parliament's House of Representatives on the Letter of Intent. We decided to make this initiative in order that the peaceful reintegration may be completed within time-frame which everybody expects to be respected. Otherwise, it may be up to Transitional Administrator General Klein to decide how it will be voted and for which institutions elections will be held, whereas elections are now to be held under Croatian law, Minister Kostovic said. The Letter (of Intent) makes it impossible to accuse the Croatian side of that its offers have not been transparent, he added. Kostovic explained that the Letter was forwarded to Gen., Klein so that he could see what the Croatian Government was doing to step up the process of peaceful reintegration and that elections might be held in time. Gen. Klein has sent the Letter to UN Secretary General and a UN presidential statement is expected to be given on the matter. Asked why the Letter failed to mention Hungarian and other minorities, Kostovic replied it referred to the Serb ethnic community. There is nothing questionable with the Hungarian and other minorities, but only with the Serb ethnic community, he added. Speaking of fears, expressed at the discussion, that the ethnic structure in the Danubian area would be changed, Deputy Prime Minister said the Croatian state would try to re-establish the ethnic structure from 1991, and no international factor disputed it. The Croatian Government is supposed to find other solution for a Serb who is occupying, for example, a Croatian house in Ilok , Kostovic said. Replying to doubts whether the Letter is in compliance with the Croatian Constitution and law, Kostovic asked how it could be illegal if an assistant to a minister came from that area or if Croatian President named two persons from the area to the House of Counties. On Thursday afternoon's discussion, Milorad Pupovac, a deputy of the Action of Croatian Social Democrats (ASH), stressed that the Letter removed any possibility of war or suffering and that it made possible that the normalization of relations between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) could develop. The Letter enables those, who wish to return, to come back to their homes and Serbs to participate proportionately in the government and to maintain the national identity, according to Pupovac. (hina) jn mš 232047 MET jan 97