HB SURPRISED AT SANADER'S STATEMENT IN MOSTAR

ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - The Croatian Bloc (HB) issued a statement on Thursday expressing surprise at Wednesday's call by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president and prime minister, Ivo Sanader, to members of the Bosnian HDZ not to follow the HB and its leader Ivic Pasalic.#L# "The call to Croats not to allow the forming of the Croatian Bloc in Bosnia-Herzegovina is interesting as a form of interference in the internal affairs of the neighbouring country. But it is even more interesting as an idea that the HDZ in Croatia, regardless of what it is like, has a political monopoly over Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina. This kind of view is alien to us," the statement said. "We cannot and will not stop the Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina from founding a party on the platform of the Croatian Bloc / Movement for a Modern Croatia," the statement added. Speaking at a press conference in Mostar after meeting Bosnian HDZ leader Barisa Colak, Sanader called on Bosnian HDZ members not to follow Ivic Pasalic and his party, saying "it's not meddling in the internal affairs of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which we respect as a sovereign, independent and friendly state, but a suggestion not to follow the losers". (Hina) vm sb