JELAVIC AND FIVE MEMBERS OF HDZ BH PRESIDENCY RESIGN

MOSTAR, May 4 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BH), Ante Jelavic and five members of the party presidency submitted their resignations on Friday evening so that the strongest Bosnian Croat party would be able to register for the forthcoming elections, an unnamed HDZ BH official told Hina on Saturday. Jelavic and vice presidents Marko Tokic, Ivo Andric Luzanski, Zdravko Batinic and members of the HDZ BH senior leadership Pero Madzar and Slavo Bago have been removed in line with the decision of High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Wolfgang Petritsch, because they violated the Dayton Agreement. The High Representative banned the six HDZ BH officials from performing political activities for life. "President Jelavic was the first one to submit his resignation at Friday's session after which the others, who had been replaced by High Representative Petritsch withdrew," the same source who was present at yesterday's 8-hour long session told Hina. At the session it was decided that the session of the HDZ BH Head Committee be held next Friday when a final resolution for intra- party crises should be reached. (hina) it