Bozo Petrov is angry: The same people decided the elections in Stolac and Metkovic

By: Haris VELJO

Croatia saw the second round of local elections in which the citizens chose their mayors.

The leading party HDZ lost the elections in most of Croatian towns (Zagreb, Rijeka, and Osijek); it won the mayor's seat in Split and after 20 years the position of mayor in Metkovic.

The victory of HDZ's candidate Dalibor Milan caused a fierce reaction of MOST's president, Bozo Petrov, whose party ruled Metkovic over the past 4 years. Even Petrov was its mayor before his elevation to the Croatian parliament (sabor).

According to the official results, MOST's Katarina Ujdur was beaten by Dalibor Milan by 130 votes (4576 – 4446).

Petrov was upset particularly because, as he stated, new mayor was elected by the voters who were not even from Metkovic.

- Everybody saw their cars, and people, crowds at the border crossings. If that is the way to win in Metkovic, then I should congratulate them. People from Metkovic voted for MOST, and Stipe Gabric and Dalibor Milan will show how they plan to run the town, as we have clearly seen it over the past 16 years. We have a new government and we should let them show that they can manage as well as we have in the past, Petrov said after the election results were revealed.

Katarina Ujdur also blamed the voters from BiH for the loss.

- I saw a car with BiH registration plates and people before the ballots in the first but not in the second round. Bringing people from other places should not be anyone's practice. That is a big problem of border towns, including Metkovic, Ujdur explained.

Nothing would be dubious about Bozo Petrov's fight for just elections had he not only 6 months ago supported the exact same way of constituting power in BiH.

After the interrupted local elections in Stolac, Petrov came to Stolac to show support for HDZ candidate, Stjepan Boskovic, who was eventually elected the mayor of Stolac.

The elections in Stolac were interrupted on the Election Day because the activists and the observers from the opposition realized that some of the voters arrived from Croatia and/or are persons with dual citizenship.

Bozo Petrov, however, did not utter one single word against the fact that the mayor of Stolac was going to be elected by the persons who did not live in Stolac or those who live at two different addresses in two different countries. However, now that his candidate lost in Metkovic, he raises the issue of voters with dual citizenship.

President of SDP Stolac, Demir Mahmutcehajic, made a sarcastic comment on Petrov's reaction to MOST losing the elections in Metkovic.

- Bozo Petrov sends me this message: 'Demir, it's okay that you mentioned my name. I deserved it. I didn't believe you when you said that more than 500 people had their residence address both in Stolac and Metkovic. I didn't believe you. I couldn't believe that HDZ could play so dirty! I'm sorry! I couldn't believe that HDZ could trick me so! In future, I will seriously consider all your warnings.' I answered him: 'Too late, Bozo', Mahmutcehajic said.

Everything that Petrov fought for in Stolac, backfired on him in Metkovic. If we look at the difference between Milan and Ujdur, it turns out that the same voters decided who would rule Stolac and Metkovic, that is – two towns in two different countries.