SUBOTICA, Jan 9 (Hina) - Incidents which occurred in northern parts of the region of Backa during and after recent parliamentary elections in Serbia are "orchestrated acts of forces that would like to spread tensions and inter-ethnic
hatred in this area." leaders of the Democratic Alliance of Vojvodina Croats (DSHV) and several Hungarian parties in Vojvodina said after their meeting on Friday.
SUBOTICA, Jan 9 (Hina) - Incidents which occurred in northern parts of
the region of Backa during and after recent parliamentary elections in
Serbia are "orchestrated acts of forces that would like to spread
tensions and inter-ethnic hatred in this area." leaders of the
Democratic Alliance of Vojvodina Croats (DSHV) and several Hungarian
parties in Vojvodina said after their meeting on Friday.#L#
"The destruction of ethnic and religious symbols of Croats in
Subotica, Tavankut, and Mala Bosna are not isolated incidents caused
by mischievous young hooligans," said Kasza Jozsef, the president of
the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians. He believes that there are
masterminds who ordered the latest incidents and who are "also
accuntable for similar incidents which happened in northern Backa in
1990s".
The ethnic Hungarian leader went on to say he was sure that the police
knew who had ordered and who had cause incidents, and called on the
authorities to announce the names of responsible persons.
The Subotica police have not yet issued any statement about the
incidents. According to unofficial reports, an investigation is under
way and the police have some hints on possible perpetrators.
The leader of the Democratic Alliance of Vojvodina Croats, Petar
Kuntic said the incidents would not intimidate the party. Contrary to
expectations of those who perpetrated incidents, "the DSHV is planning
to intensify its activities," Kuntic said.
The participants in Subotica's meeting also urged the new Serbian
parliament to systematically solve the issue of representation of
ethnic minorities, that account for one third of Serbia's population,
in parliament.
After the 28 December polls, won by the Serb Radical Party, no
representative of ethnic minority entered parliament for the first
time since the introduction of a multiparty political system in the
country.
Therefore, ethnic Croat leaders ask for the application of principles
of positive discrimination and election laws similar to the election
law in Croatia.
After the December election, two windows of the Croatian Home in
Sombor were smashed, the bust of a 16th-century Croat peasant revolt's
leader Matija Gubec in Tavankut was twice torn down and a Catholic
Cross in Mala Bosna demolisheded.
(Hina) ms