LOCAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA POSTPONED FOR SEPTEMBER

SARAJEVO, March 6 (Hina) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) on Thursday decided that municipal elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be held on 13 and 14 September instead in mid-July. A statement, released from the Sarajevo base of OSCE mission said that such a decision was made on the grounds of recommendations of American Ambassador Robert Frowick, the head of the mission, along with consent of the temporary election commission. Before the decision was made, the OSCE chairman, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen held consultation with the High Representative's office, Contact Group member-countries, the European Union and the NATO. The statement reiterated that this year's elections were of crucial importance for the future development of Bosnia-Herzegovina and that the election process could be regarded as completed only when new structures of authorities in municipalities were established on the grounds of election results. However, the statement did not cite concrete reasons for postponement of elections that had been previously announced for mid-July this year. In the statement the OSCE chairman called on the international community to assume all obligations, with no delay, of ensuring financial and other means necessary for the conducting of elections. The Danish minister ordered Bosnian authorities to ensure free movement, to enable equal access to media and to enable legally elected officials to carry out their duties. (hina) jn mš 061822 MET mar 97