HRAST leaves HNS: Čović questions the survival of the Croatian people in BiH

(Patria) - In all previous public appearances regarding HNS, Hrast has always had a clear and unambiguous stance that it is good for Croats to have a roof organization where all political, cultural, spiritual, and economic capacities will gather, who will cleverly and effectively shape the main strategic guidelines of the political action of the Croatian people in BiH, guided by the just principle; "don't give what's yours, respect what's others'", stated HNS Presidency member and President of the Croatian Union HKDU-Hrast, Pero Barbarić.

Incidentally, some time ago, the Croatian Independent List (HNL) also left the HNS.

"Although HNS has been so inconsistent and contradictory many times since its founding until today, and has served HDZ BiH to hide from responsibility and manipulate, Hrast wanted to give trust and faith once again that HNS, despite everything, can and should succeed in the role assigned to it.

I personally told the President of HNS, Dragan Čović, several times in Presidency meetings that he bears enormous responsibility for the work and performance of HNS because we entrusted him with the trust we gave him, and that this time he must show sincerity and goodwill, and know how to preserve the strength that HNS potentially has, because otherwise, there will be no second chance.

We agreed to resolve all those unnecessary problems that we created for ourselves within the Croatian body due to politicking.

Then came the first test in the form of the just demand of HVIDRA Čapljina to return the rights guaranteed by law after 3 years, which were arbitrarily revoked by the Mayor of the Municipality, Smiljan Vidić (HDZ BiH).

This item was on the HNS Presidency agenda several times, where President Čović promised to resolve this problem that the negligent Vidić had caused to the most honorable and vulnerable segment of the veteran population.

Each time, I begged President Čović that if he resolved such matters (and he can if he wants to), he would gain our trust even more and strengthen HNS in its mission.

This is precisely the point at which we seriously began to consider our withdrawal from HNS, because we saw that despite so many promises and appeals to resolve this just demand of HVIDRA Čapljina, this problem simply would not be resolved, with vague excuses being given." Barbarić said.

"What definitely led us to the decision for Hrast to leave HNS was also the inconsistent and politicking withdrawal of the constitutional appeal by Borjana Krišto. Then the irresponsible behavior of Božo Ljubić, President of the HNS Main Council, who refused to convene an urgent session on the situation in Aluminij despite the demands of the GV members... and at best, the strange and clumsy behavior of the President of HNS, Dr. Dragan Čović, who at a crucial moment left Herzegovina like an old woman combing her hair while the village burns.

We realized that HDZ BiH, instead of offering genuine support to HNS, at this critical moment for the Croatian people, understood it as an opportunity, through HNS, to further try to euthanize those political parties that it has not yet euthanized by the carrot and stick method, and that it intends to continue with the previous practice of inconsistency and manipulation.

Unfortunately, HDZ BiH, which is the only one with real power within HNS, simply does not want to be authentic and consistent for reasons incomprehensible to us; they want to use HNS as a cover for hiding and try to shift the real responsibility of HDZ BiH for the fate of the Croatian people onto HNS.

We believe that HDZ BiH has received the people's trust so far, although it has extorted that trust through various methods of buying and blackmailing voters, but legally it has received it. Therefore, we believe it is just and that it should bear the responsibility it has, since it did not want to use the last opportunity that we gave it blankly at HNS.

Let no one think that I have anything personal against Dragan Čović, but I certainly have something against the policy he is pursuing, which, by losing the position of the Croatian people in BiH in peacetime, for which we warriors fought hard in the war, has jeopardized the survival of the Croatian people in BiH.

We wish all those who agree with this policy pursued by HNS and wish to continue supporting it all the best, and we invite those who share these thoughts and views to not be the fig leaf of HNS for the sake of the mustard leaf and to follow us in different views on political solutions for the survival of Croats in BiH that will not invest all our resources in the repressive apparatus that stifles and blackmails all our creative forces," added Barbarić.