TWO EU ADMINISTRATION MEMBERS TO LEAVE MOSTAR

MOSTAR, May 31 (Hina) - Two members of Mostar's EU Administration, legal advisor Hans Birchler and head of the City Administration Department Norbert Winterstein, are leaving their posts today, the Administration told a press conference on Friday. Birchler is going to take up the post of advisor with the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in Sarajevo, while Winterstein is returning to Germany. Speaking of the postponement of municipal elections in Mostar for the 30th of June, Deputy Administrator Klaus Metscher warned that the EU was pressed for time and would have to work quickly to set up arrangements with host countries for Mostar refugees to vote by absentee ballot. He announced that Administrator Casado's amendment, submitted to the Advisory Council yesterday, would probably be released today. The amendment provides for the establishment of a special commission to supervise absentee ballot. Casado left for Sarajevo today to meet representatives of five Opposition parties. "It is in the interests of democracy to include as many small parties as possible," Metscher said. The European Union had agreed to finance the Mostar election but it was not yet decided from what budget item funds would be withdrawn. "We are also ready to finance the transport of Mostar Serbs who are refugees in Belgrade or eastern Herzegovina to vote in Mostar," he said. Asked whether a polling station would be opened in Belgrade, Metscher said the European administration had not yet received a request for the opening of such a station from a Serb representative. (hina) as 311310 MET may 96