HSS HOLDS ELECTION RALLY IN SARAJEVO, TOMCIC MEETS CARDINAL PULJIC

SARAJEVO, Nov 17 (Hina) - The Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) and the New Croatian Initiative, which are running jointly in the Croatian parliamentary elections in constituency no. 11 for the diaspora, held an election rally in Sarajevo on Monday. #L# Explaining why the HSS is participating in the election in constituency no. 11 -- in Bosnia -- HSS president Zlatko Tomcic said that under the Constitution, Croatia was obliged to protect the interests of Croats in Bosnia. "It is not good for the small Croatian community in Bosnia to be fragmented into a large number of parties," said Tomcic and expressed hope that the HSS' coalition with the New Croatian Initiative would ensure that Bosnian Croats were not represented only by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The president of the New Croatian Initiative, Kresimir Zubak, said the November 23 parliamentary election in Croatia would "have an indirect impact on Bosnia because Croatia's admission into the EU will accelerate the process of Bosnia's joining the bloc". Tomcic also held talks with Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic on Monday. "We discussed the position of Croats in Bosnia and the need to organise them in a way which would entirely protect their national interests," Tomcic said after the talks with Cardinal Puljic. (hina) it sb