NERETVA CANTON ASSEMBLY PASSES LAW ON INTERNAL AFFAIRS

MOSTAR, Jan 6 (Hina) - The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Assembly on Monday passed a law on internal affairs following a heated discussion among Bosniak (Moslem) and Croat deputies. The bill on internal affairs was adopted by the Canton government last Saturday. On Monday's session Croatian representatives insisted on changes of a proposed text of the law, claiming that the text did not speak clearly about the scopes of work of federal and cantonal interior ministries. Moslem representatives opposed changes of the proposed text and said it would affect the law on internal affairs of Central Bosnian Canton, that just like Neretva Canton, has a special system of government. After a half-an-hour-long break Croat and Moslem deputies accepted a legal compromise solution, they said, according to which rulings by the federal interior minister, with the consent of his deputy, would be observed in case of "conflict of jurisdiction" of the two mentioned ministries. Besides flags of the Croatian and Moslem peoples, a flag of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (that one with lilies) was hoisted in a hotel where the Canton's assembly held its session. Croat deputies demanded that the flag with lilies should be removed, explaining that the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annulled under the Dayton Accords, but Moslem deputies opposed it saying that such flag was being displayed in front of the U.N. building in New York. The problem was overcome by agreement that the current insignia might remain in the hotel's room until the problem was solved in line with law. The Canton assembly decided on Monday to give its deputies a monthly salary worth 200 German marks. Furthemore, it was decided that "each of the parties in its area" should temporarily finance bodies of Canton authorities. Neretva Canton's Interior Minister Valentin Coric described the adopted law on internal affairs as "the first step toward establishing the interior ministry of the Canton." According to Coric, the most important issue in the discussion was a service for protection of the constitutional order in Nertva Canton. Coric said the Croatian side had asked that the issue should be regulated by law on the matter. He added that no agreement had been reached on the issue yet, but the Croat side accepted a conclusion that it would be solved by Constitutions of the Canton and the (Moslem-Croat) Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Canton Assembly's President Ivan Bender also commented on the law on internal affairs and said it was a crucial law for "regulating life in the area." Bender added that compromise solutions were necessary and foresaw the two sides would make a habit of reaching them in the Canton. (hina) mš 061920 MET jan 97