EVENTUAL DELAY OF BH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS REQUIRES NEW MILITARY PLA

PLA $ NS - IFOR SARAJEVO, Sept 25 (Hina) - The NATO-led Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) would stay in Bosnia-Herzegovina in full strength until the end of its mandate, in order to help the holding of municipal elections and support other international organizations operating in BH, IFOR spokesman Bratt Boudreau said in Sarajevo on Wednesday. IFOR's current mandate terminated on 20 December, when the majority of the 60,000 soldiers so far deployed on the ground should start withdrawing, Boudreau said. He added that such plans were based on announcements that municipal elections might take place by the end of November, but if the elections were postponed until spring 1997, as proposed yesterday by the coordinator of international monitors in BH Edward van Thijn, new military plans would have to be made. (hina) ha 251317 MET sep 96