HDZ HOLDS PROMOTION RALLY AT KISELJAK

KISELJAK, 26 August (Hina) - Several thousand local Croats gathered on Monday evening at a HDZ promotional rally in the town of Kiseljak. Speakers included local HDZ leaders and top representatives of the Croat authorities in B-H, who spoke about the HDZ's achievements, the successful defence of Croat areas in B-H and potentials for development in piece time conditions. Jadranko Prlic, top on the HDZ slate for the B-H Assembly, described the Kiseljak area as a monument to the stamina of the Croat people, which proves that Croats can not be collectively blamed for what happened in the past and that Kiseljak Croats have managed to raise their voice against their inferior status and won a right to equal development. President B-H Federation and candidate on the slate for the B-H Presidential Council Kresimir Zubak told the crowd: "Had they listed to us, there would have been no need for the Washington agreement and the Dayton accords. B-H is our homeland, we have defended it and will not give it up. We respect our neighbors and we expect to be respected by them. We believe in building better future for our children. The fact that we have two homelands makes us richer. We will prove our commitment when we repatriate all the Croats to their homes, especially where our monasteries are." President of the HDZ for B-H, Bozo Rajic, said the Croats had won the war because they faced the conqueror, rather than advocating preservation of Yugoslavia. By the same token, the Croats do not support plans for establishment of some Balkan federation: "The Croat Republic of Herceg-Bosna has not been wound up. Rather then that, it has assumed different qualities, as a proof of our commitment to the B-H Federation. However, our partners the Bosniaks must also fuse the bodies of the B-H republic with the Federation. That is a road ahead of us, and we are ready for it," said Zubak." mr (Hina) 262245 MET aug 96