U.N. ADMINISTRATOR DISCUSSES ELECTIONS WITH CROATIAN REFUGEES

OSIJEK, Feb 14 (Hina) - The head of the UN Transitional Administration in the Croatian Danubian region, Jacques Klein, met representatives of the Croatian Association of Displaced Persons in the eastern city of Osijek on Friday for talks on upcoming local elections in the region. Association president Mato Simic said that displaced people appreciated UN efforts but were not satisfied with the postponement of local elections until April 13. He said that his organization would urge all displaced people to go to the polls. Klein said that this was the year of return of displaced persons, stressing the importance of the forthcoming elections. He said that it was good that the election date, originally planned for March 16, had been shifted because it would have been impossible to make all necessary technical preparations, such as issuing citizenship documents and compiling voter lists, so that eventually the international community would have declared the elections invalid. After the second part of the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, Klein told reporters that the talks were useful and that the displaced people expressed their concern. Klein said he promised the displaced people that the elections would be fair, adding that they were crucial for further processes and the establishment of Croatian authority in the Danube river region. We warned Klein that some people in the UN-administered region still had small arms, which could pose a threat to the elections, Simic said. Asked if displaced people could go to the polls in their home towns in the region, Klein said that this would not be possible for security reasons. The meeting was also attended by the head of the government office for the restoration of Croatian authority in the region, Ivica Vrkic. (hina) vm jn 141646 MET feb 97