TWO BOSNIAN CROAT PARTIES WILL NOT ATTEND MEETING WITH TUDJMAN

( Editorial: --> 5768 ) SARAJEVO, Aug 25 (Hina) - The leaderships of two Bosnian Croat parties on Tuesday confirmed they would not attend a meeting and talks with the Croatian President scheduled for August 26. Following a session held in Sarajevo last evening, the president of the New Croat Initiative (NHI), Kresimir Zubak, forwarded a letter to Croatia's Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH), Darinko Bago. Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Friday invited the leaderships of all Bosnian Croat parties to visit Zagreb ahead of a general election in Bosnia in September. The invitation "was basically good intentioned, especially in view of the fact that for the first time it was extended to other political parties as well, and not only to the HDZ BiH (Croatian Democratic Union of BH)", said Zubak in his letter. He recalled an earlier assessment that the invitation contained "questionable assessments on an alleged one-sided revision of the Dayton (peace) agreement, while (the sending of the invitation) was not preceded by the usual practice of previously adjusting the date". The NHI Presidency however believes that the position and prospects of the Croat people in Bosnia are issues which should be discussed with Croatia's state and political leadership, however not at a collective, but separate conference "as has been the practice with the political leadership of the HDZ BiH". Zubak suggested that Ambassador Bago mediate in scheduling such a conference in the future. Bago also received a letter by the president of the Croat People's Union of BH (HNZ BiH), Milenko Brkic. Brkic emphasised he interpreted Tudjman's invitation as a sign of acknowledgement of the HNZ and himself personally. The invitation however came at a time of fervent pre-electoral campaigning and numerous party obligations which prevent the HNZ Presidency from attending the conference, Brkic said in the letter. (hina) ha 251224 MET aug 98