JELAVIC CALLS ON CROATIA TO MAINTAIN SUPPORT FOR BOSNIAN CROATS

( Editorial: --> 1511 ) ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia- Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) president Ante Jelavic says the country's general elections run last weekend by the international community were technically badly organised. "As long as someone from the side hides the rules of the game, I think such a resolution is not stable or long-term," Jelavic said in a radio interview for Voice of America (VOA). He said Croatian President Franjo Tudjman was satisfied with the election results achieved by the Bosnian wing of Croatia's ruling party, and that "we would have the Republic of Croatia's support". We expect Croatia to care for the position of Croats in Bosnia- Herzegovina, which is its constitutional responsibility, Jelavic said. He added that he also expected a "reversal when it came to transparent relations between Zagreb and Mostar". Mostar, in southern BH, was one town but would be nothing more than an "economic and trade headquarters for Croats". Commenting on international criticism why Zagreb was financing the Bosnian Croat military and institutions via Croatia's state budget, Jelavic told radio VOA that the international community knew very well that Bosniak (Muslim) institutions and the Bosniak part of the Federation Army were financed with coffers from Arab countries, a not the Federal budget. Regarding special relations between Croatia and the Muslim-Croat Federation of BH, Bosnian Croats expected the protection of their status as a constitutive nation of BH. The return of displaced people is of strategic interest to local Croats because without Croats in Bosnia there would be no future for Croatia, Jelavic concluded in his interview with VOA. (Hina) mbr 191117 MET sep 98