HDZ BH TO ATTEND ELECTION - BUT NO FURTHER PUNISHMENTS

( Editorial: --> 8795 ) TOMISLAVGRAD, Sept 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BH) will not boycott the upcoming election in BH, unless the international community even more drastically affect the party's lists of candidates, HDZ BH Secretary-General Marko Tokic said on Monday. "The latest decisions of the international community indicate that in has not remained neutral in the Bosnian election", Tokic told reporters in Tomislavgrad, a town in southern BH. Late last week, the Electoral Appeals Sub-Commission (EASC) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe removed 18 candidates from HDZ BH's electoral lists. The explanation was that Croatian Radio-Television had violated electoral rules relative to pre-electoral campaign coverage by dedicating an disproportionate amount of attention to HDZ BH. The HDZ BH Presidency assessed the EASC decision as unfounded, as an undemocratic attempt to impose election rules. Reacting to the decision, the party leadership announced the possibility of boycotting the election. Nineteen candidates have been removed from HDZ BH lists to date, Tokic told reporters. This also indicates that the international community is acting in line with the preferences of the new Croat party in BH, Tokic said, most probably referring to Kresimir Zubak's New Croat Initiative. Tokic believed 12 HDZ BH candidates were removed from electoral lists in Posavina Canton, northern BH, after a pre-electoral poll showed HDZ BH would win absolute majority. Tokic was afraid the party could further be punished in Hercegbosna Canton, southern BH, where HDZ BH is also expected to win the absolute majority. "This doesn't conform with what the international community wants, and with such procedures (the international community) wishes to forestall the election results", he said. He was certain however, that Bosnian Croats would vote for HDZ BH, since the party still has a sufficient number of quality candidates. (hina) ha jn 081147 MET sep 98