Problems in HDZ ZDK, 14 people leave: 'The fault lies with the autocracy of one person who has ruled Žepče for 25 years, more people will leave'

(Patria) - In the Zenica-Doboj Canton, 14 prominent members of the HDZ BiH submitted irrevocable resignations from the party a few days ago and returned their membership cards. Robert Bošnjak, a former member of the Central Committee of the HDZ BiH, told N1 that everything had been happening for years, and that the main culprit was Mato Zovko, who, according to him, had been exercising autocracy for 25 years.

“I have been in the HDZ for over 10 years. When we joined the OO Youth organization, we found 5-6 branches, and the organization grew to 32 youth branches in the next three years. After that, things slowly start to change. When you have people who have been ruling in one place for 20-25 years, they are not interested in having a developed structure that doesn't think the way they want. In the previous local elections, the HDZ achieved its best result ever, with 14 councilors from the youth winning mandates. And then the problems start,” Bošnjak said on N1's Dan uživo.

He states that he believed he should have his own stance and opinion in order to contribute to his people, Žepče, and projects, but they found that their proposals were rejected.

“It was the autocracy of Mato Zovko, who has been the head of the Municipality of Žepče for over 25 years. I tried to talk to him several times, but when you ask for logical requests in the interest of the people, and they are not in line with what someone in the party and the Municipality has envisioned, you encounter a problem in Žepče,” he said.

When asked if they had approached higher levels of the party, he gave an example of being expelled from the party and that higher bodies had reinstated him.

“The youth always had good cooperation with the HDZ Youth at the BiH level. We tried to find compromises, but they were not reciprocated by the Municipal Board of Žepče. We were never invited to sessions,” he said.

He also accused Zovko of creating discord among the bodies in ZDK and that due to all of this, the cantonal board of HDZ ZDK was also dismissed.

“Ivo Tadić was in the HDZ for 30 years and contributed a lot. Zdravko Marošević is also here. But a time comes when someone decides that you should not be there anymore,” he stated.

About fifty people were expelled from the party after the last elections, he says, and among them, according to Bošnjak, are up to 40 highly educated individuals.

“It was preparation for internal party elections. It is sad that these people received envelopes at home stating they were expelled. The party said there was nothing to it, but no one sent apologies to those people,” Bošnjak said.

When asked if this is the end of his political career or if he will continue to work, Bošnjak replies: “We left out of protest because the situation in Žepče leads nowhere, to take matters into our own hands. We believe it makes no sense for one person to lead Žepče for 25 years.”

He said he regretted this decision because he had built himself through the HDZ for 10 years.

“I returned from Zagreb to Žepče. I have a family and three children, and I want to take matters into my own hands, not to have someone control me for 25 years and want to control me for the next four or eight,” he said.

He adds that this is not the end of leaving the HDZ, warning that there are many more dissatisfied people who are contacting them.

“Some people do not dare to give public support, especially in Žepče, because threats to their jobs immediately follow. We have received great support from people from all surrounding villages in the municipality of Žepče and from colleagues throughout BiH,” he said.

He announced that in the coming period, they will offer an alternative to the citizens for a “better tomorrow,” without revealing whether a new political party is on the horizon.