NEW CROAT INITIATIVE ENDS FOUNDING ASSEMBLY

( Editorial: --> 4166 ) SARAJEVO, June 27 (Hina) - The founding assembly of the New Croat Initiative (NHI) ended in Sarajevo on Saturday with the election of 13 party Presidency members and the adoption of a decision on the establishment of a Supervisory Committee and the Court of Honour. The establishment of the NHI was initiated by some members of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BH) dissatisfied with the party's policy. Kresimir Zubak, the Croat member in Bosnia's collective Presidency, was unanimously elected in the NHI Presidency by all 186 participants at today's assembly. Confidence was also given to former Initiative Committee chairman Ivo Lozancic and the chairman of the party's Sarajevo Cantonal Committee Nikola Grabovac. The remaining ten members of the NHI Presidency were elected by secret vote among candidates representing all ten cantons in one of Bosnia's two entities, the Croat-Muslim Federation of BH. The chairman of the NHI Presidency will be elected later on. Lists of NHI candidates for the September election in Bosnia will be completed in the next two days, so as to be submitted to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe by Monday's deadline. It was decided today to hold a major party convention in mid-August when a final programme declaration, which received endorsement in principle, is to be adopted. It is expected a whole party infrastructure on the ground will be established by that time. The establishment of the new party stemmed from an assessment that in practice the HDZ BH had steered away from its programme principles and the agreed policy, Ivo Lozancic said today speaking about the NHI draft programme declaration. The HDZ BH ceased being a credible partner in the implementation of the Dayton and Washington peace agreements, he said. "The NHI was born from the necessity to ensure the national interest and identity, the promotion and protection of the rights, interests and needs of the Croat people all over the BH territory through a contemporary way of political organisation", said Lozancic. He added the new party also wanted to ensure the respect of the individual-citizen's rights. In the proposed programme initiative the NHI defines BH as the Croats' homeland, as their reality and not an alternative. It also advocates closer relations between BH and Croatia which, Lozancic said, is the support to the Croats' existence. The initiative also seeks good relations with other neighbouring countries, a speedier integration into Euro-Atlantic processes, the development of local self-government within BH, the depoliticisation of the army and the police, the reduction of military forces in BH, and the return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes. The deputy international High Representative for the implementation of the peace agreements in BH Hans Schumacher welcomed today's NHI assembly and said the international community would support the new party in similar commitments. BH cannot exist without Croats, who must be able to return to all parts of BH they lived in prior to the war, he said. The HDZ BH had an ambivalent attitude to this problem and was not always clear in sending signals how Croats should return to their homes all over BH, Schumacher said. He emphasised the full implementation of the Dayton peace agreement was a necessity and that Croats in BH could not ensure their existence in BH either through the establishment of a third canton or the separatist policy of Herceg-Bosna. Schumacher called on the NHI to cooperate in the reconstruction of BH, its authorities and economy. This is the only way leading to Europe the international community will support, he said. Zubak said he was satisfied with the course of NHI's founding assembly. The decision to establish a new party was wholly justified, he emphasised. "What we are doing is right and necessary and assertions that we are weakening Croat unity and are allegedly bringing into question the Croat people's status in BH are incorrect", Zubak said. The political subjectivity of the Croat people is not an acquisition of the present generation but a historical right which can in no way be jeopardised by political pluralism, he emphasised. Pluralism is typical of people of high political culture and conscience, Zubak said, pointing out contrary claims are an attempt to preserve the power monopoly and what goes with it in non- democratic societies. The NHI will resolutely advocate the affirmation of the Croat people's identity and the exercising of the same rights for other peoples living in BH, Zubak concluded. (hina) ha 271721 MET jun 98