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PRESS CUT - Croatian Press News in English	
June 18, 1998

� TOP STORY
1. HDZ Looses Dubrovnik Elections

� CROATIA
2. Bombs Beside Buried Bodies
3. Croatian - Bosniak Friendship Association Established In Gunja
4. Mass And Gathering On Anniversary Of Stepinacs Sentence
5. Dubrovnik Beauty Is New Miss Croatia 1998
6. Choirs Made To Measure
7. Zagreb Youth Salon Opens
8. Invitation To Boka Kotorska Croats
9. Croatia Leaves No Room For Doubts In  Malta

� ICTY
10. ICTY Investigators In Belgrade

� BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
11. Croatians Return To Travnik
12. SDS And Poplasen Support Cavic
13. HVO Had 205,000 Soldiers
14. Constitutions Need To Agree
15. Commemorating Zvizdovic

� YUGOSLAVIA
16. Nato Planes All But Fired-Up!

***

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***


� TOP STORY

1. Antun Masle, Jadran Kapor, HDZ igubio izbore u Dubrovniku, Jutarnji
list, October 12, 1998, p. 2.
HDZ LOOSES DUBROVNIK ELECTIONS

DUBROVNIK - According to the first partial results of the by-elections in
the Dubrovnik - Neretva County, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won
just over a third of the vote. This after almost half of the ballots have
been counted.

The big surprise of these elections is that the SDP took second place with
a presumed 24.8 per cent, while the third place party is the Croatian
Peasant Party (HSS) with 13.1 per cent of the vote. The standings of the
rest of the parties are: HSLS with 5.6 per cent, LS with 5.9 per cent, and
independent Neven Barac with 5 per cent.

SDP Biggest Surprise
Out of 102,000 residents with the right to vote, approximately 60 per cent
turned out at the polls, and the preliminary results were arrived at by
taking 33,000 cast ballots.

The biggest surprise is the SDPs high percentage, while the HDZ is down 11
per cent from last year. It is expected that opposition parties will have
the deciding role in forming the county authorities. Individually, the HDZ
seems to have won only in one (Metkovic) out of ten electoral units, where
the winner was the  current mayor, Stipe Gabric Jambo.

In Dubrovnik City, the HDZ came in third, behind the HSS, whose ticket was
headed by Mayor Vido Bogdanovic (22%), and the SDP headed by Ivo Sprlje
(19.9%). The HDZ won only 19 per cent of the vote.

HDZ Claims Victory
However, according to HDZ election headquarters, their party received the
most votes in Dubrovnik. According to the latest accessible data, that
party had 25 per cent, while the HSS had 22 per cent, SDP 18 per cent,
followed by the independent List with 10 per cent, HSLS 6 per cent and LS
with 5.2 per cent of the vote.

The deciding factor will be the election of individual candidates in the
electoral units, where the HDZ is losing, except in Neretva. It is believed
that out of 40 county assembly seats, the united opposition could win nine
out of ten individual mandates. Party tickets will then have another 30
seats at their disposal. If the HDZ wins 35 per cent of the vote, that
would bring them 11 to 13 seats, while the rest would go to the united
opposition. Counting the number of mandates from individual party tickets,
a coalition between the HSS, HSLS and SDP, with the LS and HKDU joining
them, would give the opposition a majority and the autonomous right to
choose the county authorities.

"The voting body turned out at the polls in appropriate numbers, considered
all the events in the county and obviously made the right choice. It was
confirmed that the HDZ would be the strongest individual party. However,
for many an unexpected turn of events, the SDP made the biggest jump and
could become the second strongest individual party in the county," said the
carrier of the HDZ ticket, Niko Bulic at 23:00 (CET), before election
results were not known in their entirety.

"We are prepared to enter into post-election talks for the formation of
county authorities, in the aim of realising development programs. That was
our position before the elections and we will stand firm with our
intentions," added Bulic.

This years voter turn out was less than last years. In the centre of the
county, 56 poling stations saw only 18,851 of the registered voters or 49
per cent turnout by 16:00 (CET). Meanwhile, 45 per cent voted in Korcula,
43 per cent in Metkovic, 42 per cent in Opuzen and 39 per cent in Ploce.
The lowest voter turnout was recorded in Lastovo at 35 per cent.


GONG Monitored the Elections
The Organised Residents Monitor Voting or GONG did not have permission to
monitor the elections this time around. Members of GONG prepared a farewell
party for students who came to Dubrovnik to monitor the elections at the
Dubrovnik Bus Depot at 20:00. GONG made sure the students had free
transportation to and from their cities.

According to Alan Sisinacki and Darko Jurisic, the president and secretary
of GONG, based on the written instructions from the Republic Ministry of
the Interior, with police assistance, only 3 out of 252 polling stations
prevented GONG members to observe proceedings. Thanks to the fact that the
police did not insist on implementing the instructions from Zagreb, GONG
was allowed to monitor the elections at all poling stations.

***

� CROATIA

2. M. F., Bombe uz pokojnike, Vecernji list, October 12, 1998, p. 4.
BOMBS BESIDE BURIED BODIES

VINKOVCI - The exhumations being carried out at a number of locations in
eastern Slavonia also require the presence of bomb squad personnel from the
Vukovar - Sirmium Police in addition to personnel from the Commission for
Detained and Missing Persons, healthcare staff and the Interior and Defence
ministries.

Luckily, they do not have a lot to do during the exhumations, but every now
and then their services are required. Their job is to examine the field
before the beginning of exhumation proceedings and remove any possible
explosive devices. Four or five explosive devices were discovered during
the exhumation of the mass grave in the Vukovar New Cemetery, and there
were similar instances in Berk and Tovanik. Similarly, squad removed
explosive obstacles before exhumations could begin in Marinci.

This was also the case a few days ago during the current individual grave
exhumation proceedings at the Sotin cemetery. An explosive device was found
buried beside the body of the deceased. Pyrotechnicians were called in and
they established the device was a hand grenade and removed it so digging
could continue.

"The hand grenade was part of the deceaseds," a member of the bomb squad
told us. "We have encountered a number of similar cases. During the time of
the heaviest attacks, when burials had to be carried out, there was no time
to prepare the body for burial, rather everything was done quickly and
under dangerous conditions. This is why bodies were sometimes buried with a
bomb or their weapons."

So far, even though there have been a lot of exhumations, there have been
no cases of booby-traps. Specifically, there were no such cases at the
Vukovar New Cemetery, where the victims were buried by Yugoslav Army
personnel and it was perhaps thought Croatian authorities would never
return to those areas. However, according to the pyrotechnicians, it is
possible the Serbs placed some booby-traps in 1995 or later, when
reintegration of those areas into the system of the Republic of Croatia
became clear.

***

3. S. T., U Gunji osnovana Udruga hrvatsko-bosnjackog prijateljstva,
Vjesnik, October 12, 1998, p. 6.
CROATIAN - BOSNIAK FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION ESTABLISHED IN GUNJA

GUNJA - The first Croatian - Bosniak Friendship Association in Croatia was
founded in Gunja on Sunday.

With a population of 5150, Gunja is the largest village and municipality in
the Zupanja area and has 1,489 Bosniak-Muslim residents. As such, the idea
to form the association in Gunja emerged 10 months ago. Similar
associations already exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, Ilidza
and Ilijas. A bus full of Croats and Muslims came from Sarajevo for the
occasion.

***

4. Ika, Hina, Misa i primanje na godisnjicu Stepinceve osude, Vecernji
list, October 12, 1998, p. 3.
MASS AND GATHERING ON ANNIVERSARY OF STEPINACS SENTENCE

ZAGREB - A Gratitude Mass for the successful visit of Pope John Paul II to
Croatia and the beatification of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, was said in
the Zagreb cathedral by Cardinal Franjo Kuharic yesterday. Also in
attendance were Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanic and Apostolic Nuncio
Archbishop Giulio Einaudi.

According to a decree of Archbishop Bozanic, in all churches in the Zagreb
Diocese and at all masses, God is to be thanked for the gift of a new
Blessed person and remembrance is to paid on October 11, when in the
"overly sad process in Zagreb, the communist sentence was passed against
Zagreb Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac".

At the ceremonious gathering after the mass, Archbishop Bozanic thanked all
the participants in the preparations for the Papal visit to Croatia -
representatives and all members of state and Church Committees. He then
presented them with medals. He also presented a gold-plated crown to Msg.
Lovro Cindori, Marija Bistrica parish priest, which was gift from the Holy
Father to the Croatian National Shrine to the Mother of God in Marija
Bistrica.

Then, the president of the State Welcoming Committee for g the Holy Father,
Jure Radic, used the words of the Pope at the Znjan mass: "We are worthless
servants if we do only what we have to do."

He added that Cardinal Stepinac might not have been beatified without the
dedication of Cardinal Kuharic. Cardinal Kuharic said that the most
deserving is the Blessed himself, who made his sacrifice to God and this
sacrifice bore fruits before we thought it would.

Stepinac is now the first beatified person among the archbishops and
cardinals of the Church who lived through communist persecution after WW
II, like Visinski in Poland, Beran in the Czech Republic, Mindszenty in
Hungary and Slipy in the Ukraine. The Pope has begun to value one of the
biggest martyring times in the history of the Church - the communist era.

***

5. T. P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 12, 1998.
DUBROVNIK BEAUTY IS NEW MISS CROATIA 1998

OPATIJA - Miss Croatia for the Miss World Beauty Pageant was held last
night, in the luxurious settings of the Kvarner Hotel in Croatias tourist
gem Opatija.

Dubrovnik sent a number of contestant and two of them were landed in the
top three. Lejla Sehovic was crowned Miss Croatia and the first runner-up
was Ivana Petkovic. The race was close, as the difference between the two
Dubrovnik beauties was a mere four points, according to Milan Seckovic, who
headed the 17 member judging panel. Lejla Sehovic will represent Croatia in
the Miss World Beauty Pageant on November 26. Last years winner, Martina
Novosel, crowned the new Miss Croatia in front of a television audience of
over three million people. Olivera Slavica from Dalmatia was chosen Miss
Photogenic, while Andja Maric from Slavonia - Baranja was chosen by the
other contestants and Miss Congeniality. Ivana Petkovic was also chosen
Miss Media by TV viewers, who could call in their votes throughout the
evening.

Good luck Lejla on November 26!

***

6. D. De, Zborovi Danube Region mjeri, Vecernji list, October 12, 1998,
p. 16.
CHOIRS MADE TO MEASURE

ZAGREB - Conductor and composer Emil Cossetto was born 80 years ago today
in Trieste. In Croatia and many other countries, Cossetto has become the
trademark of amateur choirs. There were not too many composers who could
compose to measure for amateurs like Cossetto. He transformed poetic
everyday events into music, and always superimposed piano to forte.

Cossetto led Zagreb choirs for decades, including Mosa Pijade, which is
now called Lira and which he left last July. He also led Joza Vlahovic,
which today bears his name. Cossetto is a key figure in the preservation of
the Jewish musical tradition. Additionally, he is known for his anthology
interpretations of Croatian folklore music. His repertoire also includes
two operas based on Miroslav Krlezas works Christopher Columbus and
Kraljevo (Epiphany).

Despite all accomplishments and time, the maestro is not ready to retire.
He lead the Emil Cossetto Choir in August. He will celebrate his birthday
with that same choir with a concert of his music in November.

***

7. T. P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 12, 1998.
ZAGREB YOUTH SALON OPENS

ZAGREB -  The 25th Zagreb Youth Salon was opened last night and will run
until November 8. This year this graphic event has crossed the Croatian
borders, with foreign artists also displaying their work. Moreover, this
graphic event is no longer only graphic, as it now includes anything that
can be done in public: animated and motion pictures, performance art, jazz,
ambient music, design, fashion and even Internet art, where the Zagreb
Youth Salon has the creation of pages (http://pubwww.srce.hr/hdlu).

There will be 319 young artists participating at this years event from
Croatia, the rest of Europe, the United States, Japan, China and Thailand.

***

8. Vecernji list, Poziv Hrvatima iz Boke kotorske, October 12, 1998, p. 7.
INVITATION TO BOKA KOTORSKA CROATS

ZAGREB - The Croatian fraternal organisation called Bokelj Navy 809 calls
on all Croats born in or of Boka Kotorska heritage with a permanent address
in the Republic of Croatia to join its activities. This is the oldest
Croatian fraternal organisation founded in the year 809 in the ancient city
of Kotor. It as been active in Zagreb since the second decade of this
century. All those interested can call the Bokelj Navy 809 every Tuesday
and Friday between 10:00 and 12:00 (CET) at +385-1-481-3720 or visit them
at their address at the above times: Local Community August Cesarec, 33
Tkalciceva Street in Zagreb.

***

9. T. P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 12, 1998.
CROATIA LEAVES NO ROOM FOR DOUBTS IN  MALTA

LA VALLETTA - The Croatian Selects continued their winning ways Saturday
night, defeating Malta in the second-round qualifications for the 2000
European Championship. This follows that first-round loss to the Republic
of Ireland.

Croatia completely outplayed Malta in the second half, defeating them 4:1
(0:1). Suda scored for the Maltese from a questionable penalty kick at 28
minutes, which also made Slovak referee Benedik show Soldo a yellow card.
The Croatian Selects looked more like the bronze medal team from France in
the second half, as they came back to score four goals in a span of 30
minutes. It all started with a free kick, as Boban found Simics head in
the five meter area. Simic knew what to do with the ball and it was all
tied up at 54 minutes.

Vugrinec replaced national team debutant Jurica Vucko at 15 minutes,
because of an injury during a rough tackle. Vugrinec went on the score two
spectacular goals at 68 and 74 minutes. Both goals were scored with
surprise shots from the lip of the goal crease and screamed by Maltese
goalie, Muscat. Davor Suker put the icing on the cake with a goal in
typical Suker style at 78 minutes.

Croatia will host Macedonia on Wednesday night in Zagreb. Here are the
standings of Group 8:

Macedonia			3
Rep. Ireland		-1	3
Croatia				3
Yugoslavia 		-1	0
Malta				0

***


� ICTY

10. Hina, Istrazitelji haaskog suda u Beogradu, Vecernji list, October
12, 1998, p. 13.
ICTY INVESTIGATORS IN BELGRADE

BELGRADE - Investigators from the International War Crimes Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) were in Belgrade from September 28 to October 7.
They questioned 11 witnesses about 'Croatian crimes committed against Serbs
in the Medak region during 1993 and during Storm in 1995'" according to a
Tanjug (Yugoslav press agency) report published in the Belgrade daily
Politka.

"Six witnesses who gave their statements were residents of the Serbian
villages of Citluk, Divoselo and Pocitelj. They survived the golgotha of
the Medak pocket as either direct victims or witnesses of Croatian crimes
against the residents of the villages," stated the head of the Veritas
Documentation Information Centre in Belgrade, Savo Strpac.

The investigation is expected to be completed by the end of this year and
it is expected that in the first part of next year "indictments will be
issued for the highest ranking Croatian officers."

***


� BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

11. J. C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 10, 1998.
CROATIANS RETURN TO TRAVNIK

SARAJEVO - Croatians began their return to Velika Bukovica near Travnik
yesterday.

This return is a result of an agreement struck September 22 between the
mayors of Travnik and Vitez, as well as the Regional Working Group for
Central Bosnia, which represents the Office of the High Representative.

The working groups co-ordinator, Jason Taylor, said Friday was just the
first day of returns and a chance for willing donators to help in the
repair of homes. He added that return is in the interest of both Croatians
and Bosniak-Muslims.

Meanwhile, Travnik Mayor Besim Halilovic said the return, which is tied to
return in Herzegovina and Vitez, will increase a sense of security in the
area.

Similarly, Vlado Lovrenovic, Director of the Department of Refugees and
Renewal for Travnik, said "after this agreement, there should be no
obstacle to return. It is now up to the will of those ready to return."

***

12. J. C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 11, 1998.
SDS AND POPLASEN SUPPORT CAVIC

BANJA LUKA - The High Representative does not have it in his mandate to
remove Dragan Cavic from elected office said the Serbian Democratic Party
(SDS) of the Republika Srpska Friday.

As such, the SDS will appeal to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. They also asked High Representative Carlos Westendorp to
rethink his decision.

Similarly, Nikola Poplasen, the Serbian entitys newly elected president,
also asserts that Westendorp decision was incorrect. He wrote in a letter
to US presidential envoy Robert Gelbard that Cavics statements about
Dayton falling apart should NATO attack Serbia were not meant in ill-will.

Poplasen also tries to assure Gelbard of his own support for the Dayton
accords. He adds that he will respect the election results as they are.  "I
havent the means, nor the will to deny the SDS participation in the RS
government, as long as the National Assembly (of the RS) does not make such
a decision."

***

13. J. C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 11, 1998.
HVO HAD 205,000 SOLDIERS

SARAJEVO - The B&H Federations acting defence minister said in an
interview for B&H daily 'Vecernje Novine' that the HVO had 205,000 soldiers
during the war, including some 20,000 Bosniak-Muslims and 10,000 Serbs.

Miroslav Prce added that the back-pay owed to HVO or Croatian Defence
Council members includes that of 10,000 civil security officers, as they
too were considered HVO members.

Further, the B&H Republican Army did not give all those who participated in
the war back-pay certificates, said Prce.

Later, Prce said HVO members did receive some funds during the war, but it
was not pay. Had it been pay, funds would have been paid into the pension
fund. This, said Prce, is a problem on both the Croatian and Bosniak-Muslim
sides.

***

14. J. C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 11, 1998.
CONSTITUTIONS NEED TO AGREE

The Constitutional Committee of the B&H Federation parliament  has accepted
a request from B&H Presidency Chairperson Alija Izetbegovic regarding the
harmonisation of the entity and state constitutions.

Izetbegovic originally brought the matter to the table in February,
pointing out that the constitutions of the Serbian entity Republika Srpska
and the Federation do not accord with the B&H Constitution, which should
have occurred six months after its proclamation.

Izetbegovics team of experts has identified 14 points in the RS
Constitution which go against the national one. For the most part these
points relate to the equality of Croatians and Bosniak-Muslims, said Kasim
Trnka, Izetbegovics advisor on constitutional matters.

For example, the RS Constitution states that "The Republika Srpska is a
state of the Serbian people and all citizen who live in it." Additionally,
it goes on to say Serbian is the official language of the RS, and Cyrillic
is the official writing.

The experts also found six discrepancies related to the Federations
Constitution, mostly dealing with equality of Serbs, said Trnka.

Hearings on the matter in the B&H Constitutional Court will be October 15
and 16.

***

15. J. C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 12, 1998.
COMMEMORATING ZVIZDOVIC

SARAJEVO - The 500th anniversary of the death of Fr. Andelo Zvizdovic was
commemorated in the National Theatre Saturday evening.

Zvizdovic was the leader of the Franciscan monks in Bosnia before it fell
to the Turkish empire.

Fra. Petar Andelovic, Franciscan head of the Silver Bosnia (Bosna Srebrena)
province, addressed the audience saying Zvizdovic fought for Catholics and
Croatians to remain Bosnia, even while some Catholics outside told them to
leave. History seems to be repeating itself.

"However, Bosnia was and will be," said Andelovic. "It will have God. It
will have Croatian Catholics, and peace and joy and justice and hope for
all of its peoples."

B&H Presidency member Kresimir Zubak, Haris Silajdzic and Ejup Ganic were
among those in attendance. The event was sponsored by B&H Presidency
Chairperson Alija Izetbegovic.

***

� YUGOSLAVIA

15. T. P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 12, 1998.
NATO PLANES ALL BUT FIRED-UP!

BELGRADE, BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON - This last weekend was no picnic for
American cowboy diplomat Richard Holbrooke, as he spent almost 15 hours
in two days talking to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

Their negotiations were not what they should have been said Holbrooke,
because Milosevic is "far from meeting all conditions of the UN Security
Council resolution." Conversely, official Yugoslav statements were to the
effect that there should be no reason for NATO air strikes, because all UN
Security Council resolution conditions have been met.

The US State Department has begun evacuating all non-essential personnel
from the American embassy in Belgrade and has asked all other Americans
leave FRY, unless they absolutely have to be there. The Germans have done
the same.

Today, it is expected NATO will issue an ACTORD, or activation order,
placing its forces under the command of SACEUR (NATO European command),
which would decide when and how the first attacks are to begin. This issue
would also be considered official permission to use force, only leaving
SACEUR to act.

The first ACTORD would be valid for only one or two attack waves, meant as
a warning without any substantial damages intended. If Milosevic does not
heed the warnings, a second ACTORD would be issued. This would give NATO
the go-ahead to target over 600 possible marks, ranging from military
installations to telecommunications facilities.

Holbrooke said he would negotiate with Milosevic until the very last moment
before air strikes, but is not too optimistic.

NATO has 430 planes at its disposal, 60 per cent of which are American.
Some of the aircraft have cruise missiles, because of the distances to the
potential targets, as well as air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles. It is
expected NATO will first target the Yugoslav radar system, because only a
few of that countrys military aircraft have on-board radar systems. This
would, in essence, blind the Yugoslavia air force, as was the case in Iraq.
Yugoslavia only has 80 aircraft and those are old and obsolete, as is their
anti-aircraft defence system. It is expected NATO would not suffer any
substantial losses.

***

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Croatian Information Centre               Tel:    385 1 / 611 5116
Trg Stjepana Radica 3                       Fax:    385 1 / 455 0700
10000 Zagreb                               E-Mail:     hicnews@hic.hr
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA             Web:    http://www.hic.hr/news

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Croatian Information Centre      Tel:   385 1 / 611 5116
Trg Stjepana Radica 3            Fax:   385 1 / 455 0700
10,000 Zagreb                 E-Mail:   hicnews@hic.hr
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA              Web:   http://www.hic.hr/news

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~