MOSTAR, Jan 24 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday accused U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia, Thomas Miller, of "trying to create an impression that the HDZ BiH's policy is the destruction and
destabilisation of Bosnia-Herzegovina." This political party today issued a statement responding to the claims the American diplomat expressed yesterday during his visit to the southern city of Mostar when he asserted that certain leaders of the HDZ BiH advocated the establishment of the third entity in the country. He also said this party would not have mustered 70-80 percent of the ballots cast by Bosnian Croats, if there had not been 'illegal' referendum on the Bosnian Croats' position on the same day of the November 2000 general election. The HDZ accused Miller that he did not respect the will the Croat people expressed on the vote in favour of the H
MOSTAR, Jan 24 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-
Herzegovina on Wednesday accused U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia, Thomas
Miller, of "trying to create an impression that the HDZ BiH's policy
is the destruction and destabilisation of Bosnia-Herzegovina."
This political party today issued a statement responding to the
claims the American diplomat expressed yesterday during his visit
to the southern city of Mostar when he asserted that certain leaders
of the HDZ BiH advocated the establishment of the third entity in
the country.
He also said this party would not have mustered 70-80 percent of the
ballots cast by Bosnian Croats, if there had not been 'illegal'
referendum on the Bosnian Croats' position on the same day of the
November 2000 general election.
The HDZ accused Miller that he did not respect the will the Croat
people expressed on the vote in favour of the HDZ BiH.
The party blamed Miller for insulting the dignity and role of the
Croatian people in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
It expressed concern that Miller's statement also launched a policy
currently promoted by the ten-party-coalition 'Alliance for
Changes" (which has said it will not cooperate with national
parties including the HDZ). The HDZ BiH viewed such a policy as an
attempt to lessen the number of Croat representatives in
legislative and other bodies of the country and to have Croat
representatives who have not won the electoral legitimacy but have
the support from some parts of the international community.
Later in the day, the OSCE mission welcomed a statement of the HDZ
BiH President and a Croat member on Bosnia's collective Presidency,
Ante Jelavic, who said that the Alliance for Changes had the
constitutional right to choose its candidates for the leadership of
the parliament of the Croat-Moslem Federation, as its deputies had
a majority of seas in this entity's assembly.
Last week, HDZ deputies threatened to boycott the work of the
federal parliament as the Alliance prevented the election of
candidates of the HDZ and other national parties for the leading
posts of that legislative body.
We applaud also Jelavic's statement in which he refuses the boycott
as long as the Constitution is respected, a spokesman for the
Mostar-based office of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) mission said today.
Spokesman Bernard Vrban expressed understanding for Jelavic's
stand against the set-up of a system inside the Federation under the
criterion "one person - one vote."
The HDZ BiH feared that such a system would make it possible for
Moslems (whose number is higher than of Croats) to become dominant.
Jelavic expressed his opposition to it in his interview to
Croatia's daily 'Jutarnji List' a few days ago.
(hina) sb ms