HS BiH and HDZ 1990 Reject Čović's Call for Mobilization of Croats

ZENICA, patria) - In Zenica on Friday, the president of the Croatian Party of BiH Božo Skopljaković, vice-president of HDZ 1990 and president of the Cantonal Committee of that party for Central Bosnia Anto Bilić and member of the Presidency of HDZ 1990 and president of the Cantonal Committee of the Zenica-Doboj Canton Vinko Marić held talks.

They agreed that the political and economic situation in the two mentioned cantons is concerning and that it is further complicated by incompetent and irresponsible ruling parties that prematurely began their pre-election settling of scores by consciously projecting quarrels and raising tensions.

- Very little, or nothing, is being done to heal inter-ethnic intolerance and achieve a decisive economic recovery of the Central Bosnia Canton and the Zenica-Doboj Canton, which is why for years there has been an exodus of young people and their families, in which, unfortunately, Croats are leading the way - Skopljaković, Bilić and Marić believe.

Božo Skopljaković, Anto Bilić and Vinko Marić agree that the upcoming parliamentary elections are of crucial importance for Croats throughout BiH, especially in those areas where they are numerically equal to other peoples and citizens or where they are in the minority.

In this context, Skopljaković, Bilić and Marić strongly rejected the "pre-election" call from the top of HDZ BiH for the mobilization of the Croatian people, not doubting that this is a futile gesture because they are unable to agree on amendments to the Election Law with their partners and at the same time call for the gathering of all those forces that want compromise and progress in BiH towards the advanced Western world.

The Croatian Party and HDZ 1990 have long recognized the grave sin of HDZ BiH against the electoral rights of a large part of the Croatian people in BiH and warn that all previous proposals for amendments to the Election Law from various parties are maximalist and unacceptable because they are discriminatory and not fair.

Therefore, they call on all those actors who represent the Croatian people in negotiations on amendments to the Election Law, as well as individuals who can influence these amendments, to take into account the interests and fair representation of Croats from all parts of BiH and not to create legal solutions in which anyone will be privileged or disadvantaged.

Skopljaković, Bilić and Marić expressed readiness for cooperation between the Croatian Party of BiH and HDZ 1990 before and after the elections, in order to have as many Croats as possible in the legislative and executive authorities in the Central Bosnia Canton and the Zenica-Doboj Canton. They stated that the door is open to all parties that have similar programmatic interests and goals. This is perhaps the crucial pledge for Croats to survive in the mentioned areas and be an important political factor - the statement from the meeting in Zenica reads.