Čović first apologized, then retracted: I don't need to apologize to anyone

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Although it seemed that the president of HDZ BiH, Dragan Čović, apologized for the vote and support of three delegates of HDZ BiH, including himself, for the conclusion of the Club of Serbs led by SNSD to repeal the amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH that prohibit the denial of genocide and glorification of war criminals and crimes, it seems that Čović still believes he owes nothing to anyone.

“As for my behavior in the House of Peoples, I owe absolutely nothing to anyone, except that I hope I will never again be put in a position to make decisions in the House of Peoples in such a way. This is the last time I will be part of the process of helping something in BiH in such a way and paying such a price. If this hurt someone, I apologize, but I hope we will never again be put in a position to gather, condition, and encourage each other to sit together,” Čović said, without clarifying for whom or what he was put in such a situation.

He said that this was also discussed on Wednesday at one of the meetings at the EU Delegation, which was attended by Fahrudin Radončić and Bakir Izetbegović, presidents of SBB and SDA, and representatives of international institutions. Čović then added:

“I really don’t need to apologize to anyone, and I think we discussed this here (in the EU Delegation building, author’s note) and colleagues Radončić and Izetbegović heard it directly,” Čović said.

He stated that these conclusions will not pass, but it remained unclear why Čović said that he paid a price for the process of helping.

The president of SBB, Radončić, also tried to justify the move of HDZ BiH, but the very next day he changed his mind, saying it was a “knife in the back of Bosniaks.”

The president of SDA, Izetbegović, also commented on the HDZ vote in the House of Peoples to the media on Thursday.

“I think it significantly reduced the chance of reaching agreements quickly. I said clearly: Mr. Čović, I persistently urge you not to do things that provoke Bosniak voters and the Bosniak people in BiH. If you had said that Croats, together with other patriots, would defend this country, you would have greatly increased the chance of reaching an agreement. Instead, all those chances have been degraded. Even after the incident with the awarding of decorations to General Lisica, who committed crimes against Croats in Croatia, after which the Croatian ambassador to BiH was dismissed, Čović did not learn his lesson and made a serious mistake two or three days ago,” Izetbegović concluded.

The president of NIP, Elmedin Konaković, also told Patria that he had the opportunity to tell Čović at that meeting what he thought of that act.

“I consider it completely unexpected and somewhat inhumane, and in front of all colleagues, I said that it does not contribute to improving relations between the Croatian and Bosniak peoples, and of course, all others who consider BiH their country. That kind of voting and support for Dodik in those inhumane and anti-civilization processes was the limit we expected Dragan Čović not to cross.

Konaković said that he was very pleased with the reaction of the Croatian public, which shows that regardless of these completely unreasonable actions by Milanović and Čović, and sometimes Plenković, there is a critical mass of Croatian thought that is aware of what genocides and suffering are.

A good part of Croatian social and political thought condemned Čović and HDZ BiH, and sharp criticism in the Croatian Parliament was directed by Možemo MP Sandra Benčić, who asked whose side Čović and HDZ had taken.