HDZ BIH: JELAVIC'S REPLACEMENT DEROGATES WILL OF BH CROAT PEOPLE

ZAGREB, March 8 (Hina) - The decision of the international community's High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina to replace Ante Jelavic and his associates derogates the will of the Croat people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, reads a statement issued by the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) on Thursday. The party therefore calls on the international community to start resolving the new situation in the country through dialogue. According to the statement, the lack of respect for the Dayton agreement and the Constitutions of the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina and Bosnia-Herzegovina, primarily the changing of electoral rules, have jeopardised the sovereignty, equality and the quality of being constituent of the BH Croat people. The party calls on the Croatian government to unambiguously and entirely start implementing its constitutional obligation to care about and protect the interests of BH Croats. The HDZ demands that the Croatian parliament without delay open a debate on the rights and position of BH Croats and that all parties reach a consensus and support a request that another international conference on Bosnia-Herzegovina be called immediately. The international community's High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch on Wednesday replaced Ante Jelavic as the BH Presidency's Croat member and HDZ leader as well as three other senior HDZ officials. Petritsch holds Jelavic the most responsible person for the decisions by which the Croat National Assembly (HNS) practically established parallel institutions of authority in the country in Mostar on March 3. Jelavic was also banned from holding any public office in the country. (hina) rml