ZAGREB, April 29 (Hina)- Academic Davorin Rudolf, the president of the Croatian Unity Forum (FHS), an association of dialogue and tolerance and unison, announced on Tuesday that his association would participate in the coming
parliamentary election with members appearing as independent candidates on slates of centrist parties.
ZAGREB, April 29 (Hina)- Academic Davorin Rudolf, the president of
the Croatian Unity Forum (FHS), an association of dialogue and
tolerance and unison, announced on Tuesday that his association
would participate in the coming parliamentary election with
members appearing as independent candidates on slates of centrist
parties. #L#
"Even though when we founded our society we said that we did not wish
to take part in elections, circumstances have changed and we've
changed our minds due to the slow progress being made in the entire
country," Rudolf pointed out at a press conference. He estimated
that the political and intellectual elite in Croatia had died out.
Croatia's citizens have become apathetic and without any
enthusiasm and the government is inefficient. He added that FHS
wished to motivate a new intellectual elite to join political
parties.
According to Rudolf, parties the FHS could co-operate with at the
coming election could be parties gravitating to the centre such as
the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Croatian Social Liberal Party
(HSLS) and the Democratic Centre (DC). "So far only DC has offered
concrete pre-election co-operation and we are yet to officially
speak to HSS and HSLS," he said.
Croatia is facing a cross-roads - whether to enter the European
Union or the area known as the "Western Balkans" and that is why
unity at the national level is vital," Zdravko Tomac said.
He pointed out that FHS advocated a stronger political centre in
response to the bipolarisation that was occurring on Croatia's
political scene with two completely opposing blocs. "We do not wish
to co-operate with parties that advocate Croatia's isolation and
that cannot differentiate between nationalistic and national nor
with parties like the Liberal Party (LS) and Croatian National
Party (HNS) which support an anational country," Tomac said.
FHS secretary-general Josip Juras expressed condolences on the
occasion of the death of General Janko Bobetko. General Bobetko
gave an invaluable contribution towards victory in the Homeland
War, Juras said.
He noted that the FHS recognised the Hague Tribunal even though it
had issued an indictment against that well-known general. The FHS
recognises the Tribunal because Croatia is a member of the UN but we
do not approve of its political dimension nor the fact that it
judges according to the line of command principle, according to
Juras
(hina) sp ms sb