ZAGREB, March 6 (Hina) - The Croatian Displaced Persons' Association on Thursday held talks with representatives of the Croatian government. The talks had focused on the forthcoming elections, Deputy Premier Ivica Kostovic said after
the meeting. The talks focused on how the elections would be held, and about the difficulties with lists of voters, he said. The talks also concerned the period after the elections, which meant taking over of authority and the return of displaced persons, Kostovic said.
ZAGREB, March 6 (Hina) - The Croatian Displaced Persons' Association on
Thursday held talks with representatives of the Croatian government. The
talks had focused on the forthcoming elections, Deputy Premier Ivica
Kostovic said after the meeting.
The talks focused on how the elections would be held, and about the
difficulties with lists of voters, he said. The talks also concerned the
period after the elections, which meant taking over of authority and the
return of displaced persons, Kostovic said. #L#
"Regarding the elections, I said that around 10 March, General Klein
will state the exact date of elections in the Croatian Danubian area," he
said.
Transitional Administrator Klein would probably, temporarily for the
needs of the elections, "establish new boundaries for municipalities within
the framework of his authority with the aim of dividing in some way certain
municipalities into a Croatian and a Serb section", he said.
According to Kostovic, there remained the open question of
establishing a community of Serb municipalities, the suggestion of which was
being drafted by the UNTAES, based on regulations of the Erdut Agreement
(about the peaceful reintegration) and the Letter of Intent (about the
completion of the peaceful reintegration).
The crucial issue for the Displaced Persons' Association is how to
mobilise the largest number of displaced persons to vote and to accept a new
reality when they start returning to their homes in the spring.
Displaced Persons, Kostovic told reporters, were protesting against
any concessions to local Serb leaders.
The Croatian government was obliged to draw up programmes which would
include prospects for the Serb residents in the region, those who had
arrived in the area of the two UNTAES-administered counties from other parts
of Croatia, Kostovic said.
Asked to explain the programmes, Kostovic said that the programmes
would be drawn up by the Reconstruction and Development Ministry, in line
with Croatian laws.
"This will in a way be harmonising Croatian regulations with certain
requests and international standards," he said, adding that a solution for
the Serb residents in the Danubian area was at the same time a precondition
for the return of Croatians.
So far, 255 Serbs, Croatian citizens, had returned from the Croatian
Danubian area to other parts of Croatia, but not one displaced person had
returned to the Danubian area, Kostovic said. He also said that he had
informed the displaced persons about news concerning reconstruction and
announced the visit of Reconstruction and Development Minister to Vukovar
soon.
(hina) lm
062147 MET mar 97