ZAGREB, July 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Emigration Institute (HMI) managing board chairman, Jaksa Kusan, on Monday refuted claims that the former head of the HMI ("Hrvatska Matica Iseljenika"), Ante Beljo, was replaced for exclusively
political reasons. Beljo was replaced on the grounds of the HMI Statute, adopted while the currently strongest opposition party, HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union), had been in power, Kusan explained. "Beljo has continued to work for a half year since the change of authorities in Croatia, what is beyond comparison to his appointment when he replaced Vinko Nikolic who had been given only 24 hours to leave the premises of the 'Matica'," Kusan said upon being asked to comment on a statement adopted by the Croatian World Congress in Zagreb last week and published today. The Croatian World Congress (HSK), described the replacement of the ex-HMI head, Ante Beljo, as a blow to
ZAGREB, July 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Emigration Institute (HMI)
managing board chairman, Jaksa Kusan, on Monday refuted claims that
the former head of the HMI ("Hrvatska Matica Iseljenika"), Ante
Beljo, was replaced for exclusively political reasons.
Beljo was replaced on the grounds of the HMI Statute, adopted while
the currently strongest opposition party, HDZ (Croatian Democratic
Union), had been in power, Kusan explained.
"Beljo has continued to work for a half year since the change of
authorities in Croatia, what is beyond comparison to his
appointment when he replaced Vinko Nikolic who had been given only
24 hours to leave the premises of the 'Matica'," Kusan said upon
being asked to comment on a statement adopted by the Croatian World
Congress in Zagreb last week and published today.
The Croatian World Congress (HSK), described the replacement of the
ex-HMI head, Ante Beljo, as a blow to the Croatian Diaspora.
The Congress accused the new Croatian authorities of replacing
Beljo only for political reasons.
The HSK denied the assertion given by the newly-appointed
leadership that their predecessors at 'Matica' had restricted
cooperation with persons close to the then ruling Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ).
The newly-appointed head Boris Maruna and other leaders at 'Matica'
want to disassociate the Institute from any partisan policy so that
it could be equally acceptable to all Croatian emigrants, what has
not been the case to date, Kusan added.
A leading emigrant organisation, Croatian Fraternal Community,
broke off connections with 'Matica', owing to its disagreement with
the obviously pro-HDZ policy of Ante Beljo, Kusan recalled.
Commenting on the Croatian World Congress leaders' claims that the
newly-appointed head of 'Matica, Boris Maruna, did not enjoy the
support of Croats abroad during the January parliamentary
elections, Kusan replied that "it is well known that numerous
emigrants did not go to the polls, but that 'Diaspora'
representatives to the Croatian national parliament were elected
by HDZ supporters in Bosnia-Herzegovina."
(hina) jn ms