PENIC VISITS SPECIAL POLICE UNIT FOR DANUBIAN AREA

PULA, Feb 3 (Hina) - Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic, along with an advisor on special police, Lieutenant General Mladen Markac, on Monday toured special policemen who will serve, as part of Croatian police, with the transitional police in the Croatian Danubian area. Special policemen are attending a course at Valbandon near Pula (northern Adriatic coast). In a few days they will be deployed in the UNTAES-controlled area of eastern Croatia, where they will serve with the Transitional Police Force (TPF), under command of Transitional Administrator, General Jacques Klein. Minister Penic told special policemen that their task would be to ensure the holding of elections in the area, to protect life and property and prevent terrorist acts which have happened there recently. Addressing Serb participants in the course, Minister Penic said that following the performed duties in the TPF they could decide by themselves whether to stay in the Croatian special police after the peaceful reintegration. There are 50 Croat and 25 Serb participants in the course at Valbandon. (hina) jn mš 031657 MET feb 97