HERZEGOVINA-NERETVA CANTON ASSEMBLY'S SESSION ADJOURNED

MOSTAR, June 25 (Hina) - The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Assembly's chairman, Ivan Bender, on Wednesday afternoon adjourned a session until July 3, after the Assembly held a two-hour discussion on amendments to the canton's constitution. Moslem members of the Assembly asked that amendments be passed, but Croat members opposed it. Bender said that on June 6, senior Croat and Moslem federal and canton officials had agreed on one bill on amendments, in Sarajevo. Besides, an agreement on principle was reached that towns of Mostar and Travnik as well as cantons of Herzegovina-Neretva and Central Bosnia, should be organised in the same manner. Mostar had already been set up, and on Wednesday Herzegovina- Neretva Canton Assembly accepted temporary insignia for canton police, whereas nothing had been done in Travnik and central Bosnia out of the Sarajevo agreement, the Bosnian Croat representative said. A deputy to the international High Representative to Bosnia- Herzegovina, Michael Steiner, who was present on Wednesday's session in Mostar, described the adjournment as a common obstacle on the path toward the building of the Bosnian Federation. The German diplomat added that he believed amendments would be adopted. Steiner said he would travel to Zagreb on Thursday to meet Croatian president Franjo Tudjman. He added that he believed that Zagreb would be ready to fulfil its pledge. Steiner also said he had talked with Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic who agreed with the German diplomat that amendments to the (Neretva) canton constitution would be adopted. Steiner told reporters that on Wednesday morning before the session, he had held talks with Franjo Greguric, Tudjman's special envoy to Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Bosnian Federation. Greguric had expected that Wednesday's session of this Assembly would pass smoothly, Steiner added. (hina) jn mš 252041 MET jun 97