SARAJEVO, June 10 (Hina) - The New Croatian Initiative (NHI) party has refused the request of the international High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, for the resignation of an NHI member, Nikola Grabovac, from the
office of the Federation's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
SARAJEVO, June 10 (Hina) - The New Croatian Initiative (NHI) party
has refused the request of the international High Representative to
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, for the resignation of an NHI
member, Nikola Grabovac, from the office of the Federation's Deputy
Prime Minister and Finance Minister. #L#
NHI President Kresimir Zubak has confirmed that both Ashdown and
his deputy, American diplomat Donald Hayes, asked him to force
Grabovac to step down.
"The fact is that there is huge pressure... Mr. Ashdown phoned me
and said I should persuade Grabovac to resign," Zubak was quoted by
the Sarajevo-based Dnevni Avaz daily as saying.
Lord Ashdown has announced a possibility that he may personally
make a decision on Grabovac's replacement if Grabovac fails to
quit.
Zubak believes that Grabovac is a victim of a big frame-up.
Grabovac has been for two months under pressure of some media and
political parties asking for his replacement owing to a scandal
about the refund of some tariffs to a company "AM Sped" based in the
town of Orasje. Under the existing customs regulations in Bosnia, a
deposit may refunded when a company proves that it has met its
financial obligations in the import. But a subsequent inquiry has
shown that the said company has not paid its tariffs, although it
has been given the deposit back.
Grabovac's fault is that he has personally approved the refund of
the deposit, although there has been no reason for the approval. He
is also indirectly accused of supporting the Croat side in the
case.
The Finance Minister in the Croat-Muslim Federation rejected the
accusations, claiming he only signed papers previously prepared
and checked by the ministry's expert services.
Grabovac also believes that this is a kind of plot not only against
him but also against other Croat officials in the federal
authorities, who proved to be supporters of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Social Democrat Party (SDP) has already forced his member,
Croat Slavko Sikiric, to resign from the office of the head of the
federal customs administration owing to the same scandal.
The federal financial police have pressed charges against Grabovac
despite the fact that the federal interior ministry found no wrong-
doing in his work.
The NHI leader Kresimir Zubak maintains that his party's members
are the target of the attacks launched by some members of the Party
for Bosnia-Herzegovina (SBiH), led by Haris Silajdzic.
In Zubak's mind, the aim of such attacks is to ensure greater
influence of the above-mentioned party on financial trends and
police in the Federation.
Zubak also believes that Deputy Finance Minister Sefika Hafizovic,
a member of the SBiH, is responsible for the scandal and frame-up.
Another disadvantage of Grabovac is that he happened to be at the
centre of the scandal at the time when new High Representative
Ashdown would like to show his determination in the fight against
corruption and crime.
The replacement of the federal minister seems inevitable. Grabovac
is likely to have two options: either to quit of his own accord, or
to be replaced because of Ashdown's insistence which would mean his
permanent exclusion from the future political life.
(hina) ms