SABOR SPEAKER, DEPUTY SPEAKER COMMENT ON JELAVIC'S REPLACEMENT

ZAGREB, March 7 (Hina) - "Such developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina could be expected," Croatian Parliament Speaker Zlatko Tomcic said commenting on the decision of High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch to replace Ante Jelavic as a member of the Bosnia- Herzegovina Presidency. "The Croatian Government constantly pressured the organisers of the Mostar meeting not to make hasty decisions, exert pressure and make extreme decisions," Tomcic said. One should insist on dialogue and the functioning of BH institutions because that is the model that cannot be replaced, he said. The Croatian government will make efforts to alleviate the situation but it will also seek lasting solutions which would protect the interests of Bosnian Croats as an equal, constituent people, he said. Commenting on Petritsch's decision, Sabor Vice-President and chairman of the Sabor Committee on Foreign Affairs, Zdravko Tomac, said one could have expected such a fierce response by the international community. "It was not possible for this not to happen to the leading officials because the international community does not want to lose credibility," Tomac said, adding the Bosnian Croat people should be "protected from leaders and individuals as well as from decisions that are not realistic." "Thanks to the talks we conducted, the reaction of the international community was limited to the organisers," he said, adding it was important that sanctions were not imposed on the Croat people. "We expect moves which will eliminate the causes of the crisis and organise Bosnia-Herzegovina as an integral state with three equal peoples. Croatia is conducting an active policy in that regard but BH Croats and the other two peoples must decide their destiny on their own and reach an agreement," Tomac said. (hina) rml,