UN SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUES STATEMENT ON SITUATION IN BOSNIA

WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Hina) - UN Security Council on Wednesday called all sides in Bosnia-Herzegovina to ensure the necessary conditions for the holding of general elections on September 14 at to accept their results. "the Security Council expects the parties to increase their efforts towards the maintenance and further enhancement of conditions necessary to ensure democratic elections as provided for in the Peace Agreement," the statement said. The sides were called to immediately after the elections, ensure the start of functioning of joint institutions in Bosnia. The Security Council also stressed the importance of Bosnian Croats participating in the joint council of Mostar, based on the results of the last elections. "The Council expects the Bosniac and Bosnian Croat leaderships in Mostar to implement this agreement fully and without delay, and stresses that failure to do so would seriously undermine crucial efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina". The Council expressed full support to the EU Administration in Mostar and called all parties to fully cooperate with the EU Administration in this city. The Council "calls on the government of the Republic of Croatia, which bears a special responsibility in this context, to continue to use its influence on the Bosnian Croat leadership to ensure full compliance with its obligations". The Council stressed that "the continued lack of progress in transferring authority and resources to the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina is a potential danger for the peace implementation process". It called "the Federation partners to accelerate their efforts for the establishment of a fully functioning Federation which is an essential prerequisite for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina". The Security Council expressed concern that the parties had not respected human rights which impended the return of refugees. The Council called all sides to take measures in order to "stop the trend of ethnic separation in the country and in its capital Sarajevo," and to maintain its multi-cultural and multi- ethnic heritage. The Council also expressed regret for the delay in the development and creation of new independent media and the protection of property rights, and called upon each party to implement the necessary measures immediately. The Council "stresses that, under the Peace Agreement, persons indicted by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia who have failed to comply with an order to appear before the Tribunal may not stand as candidate or hold any appointive, elective or other public office in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina". The Council condemned Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska for not handing over indicted war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic and Bosnian Croat leadership and the Croatian government were condemned for not cooperating with the Tribunal. The Security Council called all sides to cooperate with the Tribunal, including arrest and extradition of all indicted persons, warning that "the Council is ready to consider the application of economic enforcement to ensure compliance by all parties with their obligations under the Peace Agreement". "The security Council condemns any attempt to challenge the authority of the International Tribunal... and condemns any threat or act of violence directed against international personnel belonging to the United Nations International Police Task Force on the territory of Republika Srpska," the statement said. The Council also condemned obstacles set before the International Tribunal investigator in the region of Republika Srpska and the Bosnian Federation. (hina) lm 082224 MET aug 96