NFCA PROTESTS AGAINST PETRITSCH'S STATEMENTS

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Hina) - The National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA), an association gathering some 130 Americans of Croat origin, on Wednesday protested against a recent suggestion by High representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Wolfgang Petritsch that a parliament House of Peoples be introduced in Croatia, as the one established in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska. NFCA president John Kraljic said Petritsch's statement, published in Sarajevo's daily "Dnevni avaz", was "a challenge to Croatia's independence and integrity". He recalled that Bosnia was a country with three constituent peoples, as opposed to Croatia, which guaranteed a certain number of seats to national minorities in parliament, including the Serb minority. Commenting on the high representative's stance, Kraljic asked why Petritsch had not "suggested the introduction of a House of Peoples in his homeland, Austria, to guarantee the representation of the Croatian and Slovene minorities". He noted that "despite his extensive powers", Petritsch had failed to achieve a more numerous return of displaced Croats and Bosniaks to their homes in Republika Srpska. (hina) lml