SARAJEVO, Dec 9 (Hina) - Latest statements by Zdravko Tomac on the need of interior reorganisation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as his re-affirmation of a policy towards Bosnia conducted by late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman
have provoked a wave of negative reactions in Sarajevo.
SARAJEVO, Dec 9 (Hina) - Latest statements by Zdravko Tomac on the
need of interior reorganisation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as
his re-affirmation of a policy towards Bosnia conducted by late
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman have provoked a wave of negative
reactions in Sarajevo. #L#
Spokesman for the Bosnian Foreign Ministry Amer Kapetanovic has
condemned the statements by the Croatian parliament vice
president, stressing that the authorities in Sarajevo were
concerned over the fact that the statements were made by an official
of the neighbouring country.
The Bosnian Foreign Ministry is dissatisfied with the fact that the
Croatian authorities did not deny Tomac's claims despite the fact
that those claims represented "harsh interference in Bosnian
internal affairs".
"If such statements do not reflect an official attitude of the
authorities in Zagreb, we expect rapid reactions of the Croatian
parliament president, the Prime Minister and Croatia's head of
state", Kapetanovic said.
Lack of such explanations could cause the international community
to think that Croatia was returning to the past regarding its
relations with Bosnia, the ministry said.
Sarajevo's dailies "Oslobodjenje" and "Jutarnje Novine" on Monday
dedicated front pages to the reactions to Tomac's statements while
the daily "Dnevni Avaz" said that the Croatian official's statement
could only encourage retrograde forces which became stronger in
Republika Srpska, particularly after recent elections.
The president of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Seada
Palavric, said she was unpleasantly surprised with Tomac's
transformation.
"I think it's unbelievable that he has said that, and if he has than
it is catastrophic. In any case, it is time for people from other
countries to stop interfering in Bosnia's internal affairs",
Palavric told "Jutarnje Novine".
The Bosnian Foreign Trade Minister and a respectable member of the
Party or Bosnia-Herzegovina (SBIH), Azra Hadziahmetovic, said it
would be better if Tomac dealt with Croatia's instead of Bosnia's
internal affairs.
The reactions of other Bosnian political party officials were
similar.