Is the glorification of the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna part of Čović's accession plan to the EU?

The Presidency of the Main Board of SDP BiH Mostar discussed the events surrounding the marking of the so-called "Day of Herceg-Bosna", during which some streets in Mostar were adorned with its flags. As a reminder, this is the same entity, under the leadership of Mate Boban, Jadranko Prlić, and Dario Kordić, which organized concentration camps throughout its territory and carried out systematic ethnic cleansing, it was announced, reports Patria.

Its civilian and military leadership was convicted in The Hague for war crimes and a joint criminal enterprise. We rightly ask who HR HB needs today, is this a return to the past that was so painful for many citizens of Mostar, and what do Dragan Čović and his associates want to tell us by celebrating such entities? Is this the vision of the state advocated by Dragan Čović? It would also be interesting to hear whether the responsible parties in the City Administration of Mostar were informed about yesterday's iconography in Mostar and whether they activated the competent inspection services to identify those responsible?

We are particularly concerned by the speech of Mr. Božo Ljubić, who emphasized in his address that the ideas and concepts advocated by HR HB are very relevant today and that: "HRHB was a legitimate and legal administrative arrangement organized in the territory inhabited by Croats in BiH. It remains a lasting inspiration, a pledge, and an obligation for today's and future generations of Croatian politicians in BiH".

It is clear that Mr. Božo Ljubić has not come to terms with the past and that his inspiration still lies in something that led to the war in these areas. We most strongly condemn such messages, which certainly do not lead to the return of trust among citizens, nor do they lead to overcoming the current crisis and rapid accession to the EU. To have an entity whose short existence was marked by concentration camps, ethnic cleansing, and the killing of civilians as a pledge, inspiration, and obligation is a unique example in today's Europe, built on the foundations of anti-fascism and the anti-fascist struggle. Such events, among other things, also raise justified doubts that the coalition partners HDZ, SDA, and SBB have tacitly agreed on the division of Mostar along the wartime line, the fate of which will obviously be decided by someone else, somewhere else.

SDP BiH will continue to strongly support the idea of a unified Mostar, a city for all its residents who should have equal rights and opportunities, and be a serious obstacle to all those who are ready to divide and sow intolerance and mistrust among its citizens.