"5,000 Serbs likely to vote", their buses stoned

Croatians are voting in local elections today, with a little over four million voters eligible to choose local and regional representative bodies. Voters who came in buses from Serbia are also expected to cast their ballots. Some 5,000 of about a quarter of a million Serbs exiled from Croatia, now refugees, will vote as a result of a campaign of two refugee organizations that cooperated with the Republic of Serbia Refugee Commissariat. "5,000 Serbs likely to vote", their buses stoned This was supported by the government and President Boris Tadic, reports say. Croatia's Independent Serb Democratic Party leader Milorad Pupovac says that he expects the number of Serbs who will come to vote to be up to 5,000 from 2,000 in 2005. Their arrival in the Zadar District is especially important, he said. "Considering that the Zadar District was the one with the most difficulties concerning the return, it is encouraging that people have decided to take part in local elections, it means they have not lost faith in return and interest in their areas which they left 14 years ago." He said his party, which stands to profit the most from the refugee votes, wants to insure greater representation of Serbs locally. "These elections are important because for the first time the Constitution and the Law on National Minorities are truly respected. These elections are a chance to create a different political culture of tolerance and to affirm the Serb community in Croatia", said Pupovac. But police in Zadar today said in a statement that two buses with Belgrade license plates were attacked with rocks in Benkovac, with damage to the vehicles appraised to be some EUR 1,100. The buses were parked in the town's center, and it is believed that they brought Croatian citizens of Serb ethnicity to vote in today's local elections. Croatian police said that they had filed charges against unknown perpetrators over the incident.

"5,000 Serbs likely to vote", their buses stoned

This was supported by the government and President Boris Tadić, reports say.

Croatia's Independent Serb Democratic Party leader Milorad Pupovac says that he expects the number of Serbs who will come to vote to be up to 5,000 from 2,000 in 2005.

Their arrival in the Zadar District is especially important, he said.

"Considering that the Zadar District was the one with the most difficulties concerning the return, it is encouraging that people have decided to take part in local elections, it means they have not lost faith in return and interest in their areas which they left 14 years ago."

He said his party, which stands to profit the most from the refugee votes, wants to insure greater representation of Serbs locally.

"These elections are important because for the first time the Constitution and the Law on National Minorities are truly respected. These elections are a chance to create a different political culture of tolerance and to affirm the Serb community in Croatia", said Pupovac.

But police in Zadar today said in a statement that two buses with Belgrade license plates were attacked with rocks in Benkovac, with damage to the vehicles appraised to be some EUR 1,100.

The buses were parked in the town's center, and it is believed that they brought Croatian citizens of Serb ethnicity to vote in today's local elections.

Croatian police said that they had filed charges against unknown perpetrators over the incident.