The funds of most ethnic communities will increase by around 19 percent in relation to last year, with those to the Bosniak minority rising by 43 percent.
Although Council members believe that the rise in funds for Bosniaks is a sign that the Council understands that it is necessary to give institutionalised support to this minority, the Bosniak deputy in the Croatian parliament, Semso Tankovic, believes this is only a cosmetic change.
Tankovic explained that the donations were increased only after the establishment of an umbrella association of Bosniak societies, whose acronym is SABAH, consisting of 22 associations which previously could in no way qualify for minority funds. Tankovic blamed this on Council Chairman Aleksandar Tolnauer.
He also accused Tolnauer of "the systematic discrimination of Bosniaks".
The Bosniak representative believes that the funds allocated to this minority were disproportionately low in comparison to the number of members of that ethnic group, and that the Jewish minority was given 30 times higher funds per member.
"This is a language of something that I will not mention," Tolnauer responded, adding that the Council did not allocate capitation fees but granted funds according to the quality of programmes applying for funds.
He added that the criterion of the size of an ethnic group should not be crucial for the Council which advocated the principle of giving equal chances to members of minorities and the majority.
Claiming that Tolnauer had insulted him by implying that he had used hate language, Tankovic walked out of the session.
The Council adopted a report on the spending of funds allocated from the 2005 budget.
Some participants in the session pointed out that the criteria for financing minorities' programmes should be changed, but agreed that this would take time.