INTERNATIONAL REPS. IN MOSTAR PLEASED WITH CONDUCT OF BOSNIA ELECTIONS

ELECTIONS $ MOSTAR, Sept 16 (Hina) - International workers in the Mostar area have hailed the good management of Bosnian municipal elections held on 13 and 14 September . Heads of the OSCE regional office and of the regional office of the High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Edward Joseph and Martin Garrod respectively, were quoted by the Bosnian Croat agency, HABENA, as saying that after election results be confirmed it would be necessary that elected authorities assume their posts. On Tuesday's news conference Garrod commented on a statement given by the Herzegovina-Neretva cantonal assembly's chairman, Ivan Bender who said that the Croat party did not give up a plan for the community of Mostar's municipalities where a majority of residents are the Croats. Garrod said that at a Zagreb meeting last week it was agreed that a concept of the community of Croat-controlled municipalities would be abandoned. He said he hoped that such statements would no longer be made. As regards the Zagreb meeting, the OSCE official Joseph added that it was agreed that the community of Croat-controlled municipalities in this southern city would cease and that guidelines for the return of refugees were adopted then as well. (hina) jn mš 161640 MET sep 97