GOVT ADOPTS PEACEFUL REINTEGRATION PROGRAM, PROPOSES AMNESTY BILL

ZAGREB, May 6 (Hina) - The Croatian government met on Monday to discuss the peaceful reintegration of the still occupied areas of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem into Croatia's constitutional and legal system. The session was also attended by the UN Transitional Administrator in the occupied areas, US General Jacques Klein. The government adopted three documents which make up its programme for peaceful reintegration and presented them to General Klein. The documents included a report on the process of peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area into the constitutional and legal system of Croatia, time limits for completion of the peaceful reintegration process, and programmes by government ministries, directorates and offices in the process of peaceful reintegration. The government sent to parliament for urgent consideration a bill proposing amnesty for all people who had committed crimes in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem. Submitting the report on peaceful reintegration, Vice Premier Ivica Kostovic said that the peaceful reintegration was the government's strategic aim in 1996. The process of peaceful reintegration was proceeding in line with U.N. Security Council resolutions, but at a somewhat slower pace than expected, Kostovic said. He announced the opening of the Vinkovci-Sid railway line, adding that the minesweeping on the railway line had already begun. He recalled the successful closing of the Djeletovci oil extraction site, which, he said, was a precondition for the opening of the Adriatic pipeline. Despite those positive steps, the reintegration process was still unfolding slowly, and it had been noticed that the Serbs were constantly changing their negotiators, Kostovic added. UN Transitional Administrator Klein expressed his satisfaction with the useful cooperation between the UN Transitional Administration and the Croatian government and recalled all activities of the Transitional Administration, such as the deployment of troops, which is to be completed by 15 May, when the demilitarisation of the area is to start officially. The demilitarisation is already being performed since a large quantity of heavy weapons have been removed. Joint education and training of police officers at a military academy in Budapest was described as very positive, as well as meetings of separated families and agreement on the establishment of postal service. Klein gave a detailed report on plans for financial assistance in the reconstruction of the Croatian Danubian area (the Council of Europe has already allocated 40 million dlr., U.S. Agency for International Development has allocated 9,7 million dlr. and the Norwegian government has allocated 5 million dlr.), as well as about U.S. government plans for the financing of the reconstruction of a river port in Vukovar. Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic recalled that Croatia did not have good experience with peace operations. However, UNTAES is different because it has an active mandate and a transitional administration, he said. The government's documents were proposals on how the dynamics of the reintegration process could be improved, Simonovic said, adding he hoped that those documents would be included in General Klein's report to the U.N. Secretary General and the U.N. Security Council. Vice Premier Borislav Skegro said that tomorrow's opening of the Zagreb-Belgrade highway was a useful and important economic event, while Defence Minister Gojko Susak congratulated General Klein on all he did in the past several months of his service. Interior Minister Ivan Jarnjak said he was satisfied with the way the joint police force is being trained in Budapest. Two years ago, the Yugoslav side knew where the border was going to be and it was then that they started building a huge facility at the Bajakovo border crossing, Jarnjak added. The government unanimously supported the programmes of government ministries, directorates and the Croatian Government Office on the process of peaceful reintegration. According to the government document on the reintegration process time limits, tomorrow's opening of the Zagreb-Belgrade highway would mark the beginning of concrete actions aimed at peaceful reintegration which is to be completed by 15 January next year. The demilitarisation process should be completed by 15 June, when the Yugoslav police is to leave the Croatian Danubian area. Gradual introduction of the Croatian police force would start as of June 15 and the Croatian police should start patrolling in Croatian uniforms as of 1 September. The name 'Serb region' would be no longer used and preparations for the electoral registering of the local population would start. The elections are to be held in December this year. The elections would mark the end of the first stage which would also include the beginning of the reconstruction of Vukovar. The second stage would include the completion of all tasks regarding the establishment of the Croatian authority, the Croatian police would be deployed on Croatia's borders, all communications would be opened (including air traffic), and full protection of human rights is to be achieved within the second stage. As an additional contribution to the peaceful reintegration, the Croatian government sent for urgent consideration a bill on amnesty, which, according to the proposed time limits, should take effect by July 15. The bill is aimed at strengthening confidence so that all persons who once lived in the area can live there again, Premier Zlatko Matesa said. The bill provides for amnesty for all those who committed criminal acts during military conflicts and against the Republic of Croatia and who have permanent or temporary abode in the still occupied Croatian areas, Justice Minister Miroslav Separovic said. The amnesty would refer to the criminal acts committed in the period between August 17, 1990 and the date of the beginning of demilitarisation process. Perpetrators of crimes, whom Croatia is legally bound to prosecute (by international law regulations) and perpetrators of most severe crimes against the Republic of Croatia are excluded from the amnesty bill. At the end of the session, Premier Zlatko Matesa told reporters that the process of peaceful reintegration was proceeding successfully, stressing that the government fully supported General Klein and his transitional administration. 'We hold that the transitional administration are doing a very difficult job professionally and responsibly', Matesa said. With its bill on amnesty the government intends to speed up the process of peaceful reintegration and the process of confidence-restoration, Matesa said. UN Transitional Administrator Klein thanked the Croatian government for today's session, which he described as a very important event for the residents of eastern Slavonia. Today's session is also a clear message to all those living in eastern Slavonia that they have future in Croatia, Klein said. Time limits of the process of peaceful reintegration, which had been determined by the Croatian government, would 'also contribute to the peaceful reintegration, just as tomorrow's opening of the Zagreb-Belgrade highway and the Adriatic pipeline would contribute to the process', Klein said. According to the Croatian government documents, the reintegration of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem should be completed by 15 January, the date of the expiry of the UNTAES mandate. (hina) rm vm jn mm 061832 MET may 96