OSIJEK, Nov 19 (Hina) - The leader of the ethnic German community in Croatia, Nikola Mak, who stands in the parliamentary elections as a candidate in constituency no. 12 which is designed for national minorities, has said in Osijek
that if he wins a seat in the parliament he will commit himself to promoting the rights of all ethnic minorities.
OSIJEK, Nov 19 (Hina) - The leader of the ethnic German community in
Croatia, Nikola Mak, who stands in the parliamentary elections as a
candidate in constituency no. 12 which is designed for national
minorities, has said in Osijek that if he wins a seat in the
parliament he will commit himself to promoting the rights of all
ethnic minorities. #L#
With regard the German minority (whose members call themselves
'Podunavske Svabe'), "we shall call for the annulment of the 1944
rules adopted by the AVNOJ (the then Anti Fascist parliament) which
outlawed Germans and Austrians and which have not yet been
proclaimed null and void," Mak said on Wednesday in the eastern city
of Osijek. The decision to rescind the rules will give the German
minority moral satisfaction, he added.
He welcomed the decision to grant the status of former political
prisoners to German civilians who had been jailed in concentration
camps in the wake of the Second World War. Mak also hailed the
decision to indemnify ethnic Germans for the confiscated
property.
"We do not think that we should be given back houses in which other
people are now living, but we shall ask the Croatian authorities to
compensate us for the confiscated property," Mak said.
He went on to say that one of the tasks of the association of ethnic
Germans in the Danube river region was to cherish their national
identity through the knowledge of their language, customs and
history.
Ethnic Germans are in favour of improving cooperation between
Croatia and Germany and between Croatia and Austria.
(hina) ms