BOSNIAN CROAT PARTIES GIVING UP ESTABLISHMENT OF THIRD ENTITY?

MOSTAR, Aug 23 (Hina) - The New Croat Initiative (NHI) party on Friday welcomed the decision of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) to give up Croat self-government and the establishment of a third entity in the country. #L# Acting HDZ BiH president Barisa Colak and the party's candidate for the Croat member of the state presidency at this autumn's elections, Dragan Covic, said in Livno this week the party's electoral campaign would not be based on Croat self-rule nor a third entity. The statement by the HDZ officials was described by the NHI as "the burial" of the idea of Croat self-government and the third entity by "its creators". The Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was declared in Grude in the autumn of 1993, and the then president of the HDZ BiH, Mate Boban, was elected its president. The Dayton agreement did not recognise the Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia as the country's third entity. Last year, the party leadership, headed by the then president Ante Jelavic, declared Croat self-rule in the majority Croat areas. The international community saw this act as another attempt to establish a third entity and the High Representative at the time, Wolfgang Petritsch, removed Jelavic and his close associates who supported self-rule, from all posts, banning them for good from engaging in any political activity. (hina) rml sb