HDZ-related News (see also editorials) Croatian leaders condemn autonomy plan of BiH Croats: Croat National Assembly sends letter to the US Embassy in Sarajevo: "We are the only legal representatives of Croats in BiH: Wolfgang Petritsch says the IC ready to punish responsible HDZ officials: Wolfgang Petritsch dismisses decisions of the CNA as "a political act of the HDZ" Ante Jelavic to meet Croatian Prime Minister Possible introduction of IC sanctions against Croat companies in BiH Federation would also be damaging for Croatia Luzanski comments on Croatian PM's statement Workers are threatening that they will shut down the Mostar Aluminum Factory The IC considers mechanisms to prevent Croat self-rule from functioning Republika Srpska Presidents of the FRY and the RS sign special relations agreement: Reactions Editorials Slobodna Dalmacija: Parallel state Vijesnik: Why is the HDZ provoking a crisis in Bosnia Vijesnik: Economic sanctions to the Croat people in B&H Republika: Self-government that would be dominated by HDZ B&H is a move of desperate people who are losing power HDZ-related News (see also editorials): Croatian leaders condemn autonomy plan of BiH Croats: Croatian Prime Minister, Ivica Racan, and the president, Stipe Mesic, condemned on Monday decisions made at the Croat National Assembly held in Mostar on Saturday. Commenting the Assembly plans to establish an inter-cantonal council, Racan stressed that he regrets this decision of the CNA leaders, and urged them to enter into a dialogue with other political representatives in BiH. Croatian news agency HINA quoted the Croatian President Mesic as saying that this move can only harm Croats in all of BiH, and also stressed that all contentious issues in the country should be resolved through the legally established institutions and in a dialogue with the International Community. Both Croatian leaders stressed that Croatia, as a co-signitory of the Dayton Peace Agreement, could not endorse such anti-Dayton plans of the Croat National Assembly. Croat National Assembly sends letter to the US Embassy in Sarajevo: "We are the only legal representatives of Croats in BiH: Commenting on the recent letter of the US Embassy in Sarajevo which dismissed all decisions made at the Croat National Assembly on Saturday, the latter body stressed that all participant at the session were legally elected representatives of Croat people in BiH, and as such, are the only legitimate reflection of the electoral will of Croats. In a letter, CNA officials said that they are aware of the existence of political institutions which, according to constitutions, provide for participation of Croats, however, they stressed that these institutions are not legal since they were not constituted in accordance with the Constitution. "Thus, we do not want to take part in such institutions," read the letter. Assembly officials also stressed that, despite this, they are willing to engage into a dialogue with the International Community in order to "return the Dayton implementation process within constitutional framework." Wolfgang Petritsch says the IC ready to punish responsible HDZ officials: In an interview with the Reuters news agency late last night, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, said that the International Community is ready to penalize responsible HDZ officials who have threatened to declare the Croat autonomy in BiH. "There is whole array [of measures available]; from political, administrative, financial, economic, you name it," Petritsch told the news agency, and added that international organizations and diplomats from key countries backing the Dayton Peace Agreement met on Monday to discuss possible response. "I am not saying that we have decided anything...we are now considering the next steps," Petritsch said. He stressed that the decision of the Croat Assembly to declare self-rule unless the IC reverses disputed PEC rules for election of deputies to the Federation House of Peoples was "simply not acceptable". According to Reuters, Petritsch denied this move was a blow the peace process. "I think it is more an expression of despair and not seeing how the nationalist cause is weakened by democratic forces," the HR concluded. Wolfgang Petritsch dismisses decisions of the CNA as "a political act of the HDZ": In an interview with the Viennese Kurier (sp!) (which was carried by most media in the Federation), the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, dismissed the recent moves of the Croat National Assembly as a mere "political party act of the HDZ." Petritsch explained that there is a great number of soldiers within the HDZ who retained a war mentality and who are closely connected with criminal structures. "They now believe that their future is in danger," said Petritsch, and added that the HDZ is trying create parallel structures in the Federation in order to compensate for the loss of votes between 1996 and 2000. He also said that there are very progressive forces among Croats in BiH, and that the International Community needs to persuade them that democratic path is a better path to take. Petritsch concluded that the HDZ is using "Stalinist methods" in Herzegovina which make its residents virtually fully economically dependent on the HDZ. "There is a sort of a special nationalist biosphere in Herzegovina, which is not prone to any compromise," said Petritsch in an interview with Kurier. Ante Jelavic to meet Croatian Prime Minister The Croatian member of the BiH Presidency and leader of the HDZ BiH, Ante Jelavic, is staying in Zagreb where he and his associates are expected to meet with premier Ivica Racan and his Cabinet, said Jelavic's adviser Drazenko Primorac. He said that Jelavic only plans to meet with government officials. Possible introduction of IC sanctions against Croat companies in BiH Federation would also be damaging for Croatia The threat with sanctions against any successful company is not only an attack on work, but is an insane idea, and we cannot believe that anyone who wish that BiH is built as a prosperous country may think in a way to stop a company as successful as the Mostar Aluminum Factory (AF), the Zagreb daily Jutarnji List quoted Vlado Ivankovic, the President of the AF Syndicate, as saying. "I cannot see what they want to achieve with that," said Mijo Brajkovic, the AF general Manager. "Does it mean that all the European and American companies will cease the co-operation with us? Does it mean the closure of the company which makes 500 million marks of profit and 320 million marks of export per year, the company that signed a contract with the German FAW on the modernization of the electrolysis process? The value of the contract amounts up to DEM 140 million, and the credit was provided by the German WL Bank and insured by a German insurance company. We have established co-operation with the entire Europe, as well as," Brajkovic added. According to Brajkovic, the introduction of sanctions against the AF would also very much affect business operations of a few large companies in Croatia. Jago Lasic, the President of the BiH Federation Chamber of Commerce, commenting on consequences of the possible sanctions, said: "Suspension of investments would mean dying of the economy. I do not know whether there will be sanctions. If they are to be introduced, I believe they would mostly refer to the preferential status that BiH has within the EU concerning the export of all sort of products, except beef, fish, fish cans and wine. Introduction of sanctions would also cause damage to Croatia." The Herzegovina Bank did not want to comment on the possible sanctions. Luzanski comments on Croatian PM's statement Asked by Jutarnji List to comment on the latest statement made by Croatian prime Minister Ivica Racan, Ivo Andric Luzanski, the former Federation President, said: "We do not want Croatia to be a hostage of the situation in BiH, but we have to reiterate that Croatia, as a signatory of Dayton, has the obligation to supervise its implementation. We uttered warnings earlier that significant changes were made to the peace agreement, not only through the disputed rules related to the election of the House of Peoples, but also through a number of earlier decisions worsening the status of the Croat people in BiH. This is why we expected a more open and more consistent support from Croatia. We are aware of our responsibility and the sanctions announced by the international representatives, but we will keep demanding a consistent implementation of the Peace Agreement." "We offered a dialogue to all the sides in BiH, and we said that the implementation of the Croat National Assembly decisions will not start in15 days," Luzanski added. He also said the HDZ BiH would accept any initiative for restoration of dialogue. Workers are threatening that they will shut down the Mostar Aluminum Factory According to the Zagreb daily Vecernji List, if the workers from the Aluminum Factory stop the production for only two hours, that would cause a significant damage and a loss of million marks. The Aluminum workers announced such a possibility at the Monday's session of their Trade Union, the newspaper reported. These workers saved the Factory from the complete destruction at the beginning of the war in BiH. In addition, approximately DEM 170 million were invested into its modernization after the war. Vlado Ivankovic, the President of the Union, stated that, so far, the IC has invested 5 billion dollars into BiH. Croats and the Aluminum Factory received almost nothing out of this amount and not a single job has been secured for them. The Aluminum Factory ensures living expenditures coverage for approximately 30 000 people, they have a good cooperation with the Ploce Port and the other Croatian Companies, and, each day, 150 workers from Croatia are temporarily engaged with the Factory. Mijo Brajkovic, the General Manager of the factory, said that "he understands the concern of the workers, but that he hopes the threats will not be realized." The IC considers mechanisms to prevent Croat self-rule from functioning Luke Zahner, the OSCE Spokesperson, said: "We have to seriously consider the whole case because, in its essence, it represents an attack on the DPA. I believe that this is the first time that the high officials are openly attacking the Agreement, which stopped the war in BiH. It is certain that the IC Representatives will handle this problem seriously and effectively. To be more precise, this is not a political issue but HDZ economic interests are in a background of it. "We believe that the HDZ is abusing the concern of the Croats so that they can continue to exploit them. We shall see how they are intending to implement their decisions. If they, for instance, intend to take over Federal taxes how they are planning to do that, without a support of the Central Bank. I believe that the time when the HDZ could simply stop the cooperation with the rest of the state has passed. "We were interested to know if they were thinking how to prevent the Croat self-government economically and financially, since the IC believes that the background of the whole story is money. "The HDZ made a big political and economic step back. Using of the politics of hate and division in order to preserve political positions is the last thing that the weak BiH economy needs. "What is the future of some para-state in terms of foreign investments, for instance? Who will want to invest money in such a state, even when the limited trade that this country has is at issue. When the globalization and modernization of this country is at issue, it means going 10 years back in the past. All this puts the HDZ related problem of banking in the first plan." Republika Srpska Presidents of the FRY and the RS sign special relations agreement: The RS President, Mirko Sarovic, and his FRY counterpart, Vojislav Kostunica, signed an agreement on special and parallel relations between the RS and the FRY yesterday in Banja Luka. Speaking after the signing ceremony, Kostunica said that this agreement would contribute to the good neighborly relations in the Balkans. "With this agreement we are one step closer to a lasting peace in the region, which is still wracked by instability, unrest and terrorism particularly in the south," said Kostunica, referring to the ongoing violence in southern Serbia and Kosovo. He also expressed hope that the accord would serve as an example of how the different entities of the region could work together for greater social, economic and political stability. According to media reports, the details of the accord have yet to be finalized, however, its general outlines provide for greater cooperation on economic issues, science and technology, privatization, social policy, cultural exchange as well as a transparent share of information on defense matters. Media report that the OHR will be asked to approve the text of the agreement before it is due for ratification. In an interview with the Radio Deutsche Welle, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, said that there is no reason for concern that this agreement might lead to new territorial divisions. "I personally supervised the negotiations about the agreement so that I might have control over its contents," said Petritsch. The high representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, said that the Agreement on special and parallel ties between FRY and RS "is not an indicator of resurgent Serbian nationalism." He told Vienna's Presse that the Agreement "quite clearly underlines the sovereignty of the state of BiH." He told the Standard that the decision of Croatian nationalists in BiH to form their own government is primarily a reaction to the fact that BiH has a new government which is committed to a multi-ethnic society and reconciliation among ethnic groups. RS premier Mladen Ivanic says that the Agreement on special and parallel ties between FRY and RS does not threaten BiH and that "speculation in connection with it are the result of political conviction, particularly present in Sarajevo, that something not in accord with Dayton is happening behind the scene." He told BiH TV that the Agreement does not differ from that concluded by the FBiH and Croatia. Editorials (Provided by the OHR Mostar) Slobodna Dalmacija: Parallel state By Danko Plevnik If the OHR (The Office of the High Representative) and the international community are the real enemies of these three peoples in B&H, why there is no joint, but only a partial struggle of the Croat oligarchy of former Herceg Bosna? All the Croats have hard times to accept the HDZ's tribe as their imposed homeland. This out-institutional democracy is used because the HDZ lost the struggle with the international community in B&H, ignoring the political rules of the game by the Dayton scenario. The HDZ hoped to get a majority in the House of Peoples, however, since the correlation of forces happened to be 16:14 in favour of the non-HDZ Croat option, the HDZ decided to boycott the elected "marionette-like" SDP representatives in the House of Peoples. Knowing that the Party's obstructing of the Federal authority may lead to the institutional difficulties of political management, the HDZ members from Herzegovina started founding the Croat Democratic Assembly - as a structure which would be a replacement for possible abolishment of the HDZ. That it is about a mere transmission of the HDZ's authority is illustrated by the fact that Marko Tokic, the Deputy President of the HDZ, was appointed the President of the Temporary Croat Self-Government, Zdravko Batinic, a member of the HDZ was appointed the Deputy President and Ivo Andric Luzanski, also a member of the HDZ, was appointed the President of the Legislative Council. With his pathetic appearance of the Vice President of the Croatian Parliament, Zdravko Tomac gave a non-verbal legitimacy to the Assembly by which Croatia is getting involved, using a back-door approach, into the new conflicts with the international community. Where is Abdic today and where will Jelavic be tomorrow? As an exponent of the Franciscan-HVO capital of the Hercegovacka Bank, to which he directed the payment operations of his Party's parallel-state, which lives from the public companies, he wants to protect the HDZ's interest of permanent, revolutionary ruling as an absolute interest of the 'Croat people', not only in B&H. For instance, in what way is he going to enable the functioning of the parallel public accounts and companies in the rest of the B&H Federation since it will be regarded as a punishable act. And, what is Jelavic prepared to do after 15-day deadline - to the physical resistance to the authorities of the B&H Federation? Ultra-radicals oppose that deadline wishing for the 'self-governing republic' to activate immediately its legislative, executive and judicial authority. To what extent will the 'new' structures or mutations of the HDZ's authority follow the HVO, which has not decided yet to disintegrate from the Army of the B&H Federation? Tomislav Pervan, the Franciscan Provincial, accepts the circulus vitiousus of political tribalism as a God (Bosnia), rejecting the dictates of the 'moral rulers from the west'! So, the international community and the west are derogated as political and spiritual values, and a form of statehood is affirmed, subordinated neither to Sarajevo nor Brussels. In that one wants to get legitimacy through the actions of signing petitions, for instance, for reviving of Tudjman. Even if 4,5 million of people signs that ' lion Franjo should stand up and roar ', a common sense suggests that even beyond the most rational will of the majority, the objective reality exists. The one-sided decision on 'Herceg-government' will have a similar challenge. A 'solid core' of the trans-state HDZ, which skillfully made use of the war troubles in Croatia and B&H, tried, using the 'two-state' demonstrations against the authorities in Croatia, to get re-united about the key issue of survival of the militant pressure groups in B&H and their self-protecting of the past and present crime and corruption, and get, by surprise, a support from a part of the Six, and even from the Croatian Parliament. If Jelavic knew that he could not succeed in that in long terms, why did he start the war with the international community, which already threatened with serious sanctions? Did he receive a hint for that provocation from the 'parallel authorities' of the international community or the HDZ's hawks do not want to be deprived of the privileges of the uncontrolled authority without radical moves? Bush Senior supported Ante Markovic, so it does not seem possible that Bush Junior will support Ante Jelavic. Vijesnik: Why is the HDZ provoking a crisis in Bosnia By Davor Gjenero While the mistrust between Bosniacs and Serbs in Bosnia is getting less and less, the B&H Croats remain isolated. The guilt for that rests exclusively with their political leadership that is still fascinated with the idea on exclusive national region, which would, it is true, stay for some time within B&H, but after that, along with the exclusivists in the RS, the separation from the state and annexation to their mother countries would be announced at a right moment. The ethnic engineering done in the war created conditions for such a policy to Jelavic's group. In the parts of Bosnia, where Croats used to live in mixed communities, a thorough ethnic cleansing was done and the exclusive national territory of west Herzegovina, the only region in which that political group is interested, remained to be, by the ethnic engineering, as the only relevant election pillar to that group. What are the 'original sins' of the international protectorate in B&H according to the Mostar group? Clearly, it is, above all, the fact that the HDZ, at the B&H level, does not participate any more in the executive authority. Although the HDZ members in the B&H Presidency managed to impose their candidate as the designate of the B&H Government, he could not manage to receive the votes from the other members in the Parliament, except for the HDZ, and he remained in a funny minority in the House of Representatives of the B&H Parliament. In the B&H constitutional model the national caucuses in the House of Peoples have the right to put veto to the laws, for which they estimate to bring the equality of the peoples in question. If the other two national caucuses of the constituent peoples accept the veto, the law is put out of force, and if they do not do so, it is the Constitutional Court that makes the assessment on its constitutionality and influence on the relations between national groups. After having lost the majority in the Croat national caucus in the House of Peoples, the HDZ members also lost the constitutional position of the 'veto group'. Since their 'coalition values' are so low that they do not manage to participate in the executive authority, their political marginalisation started. At the next elections the Croat constituency in B&H might read a message from the fact that at these elections most of the voters ' threw their votes away' by voting for the political option which does not manage to function rationally under given circumstances and represent the interests of its voters. At the same time when the Mostar Assembly was held, Drazen Budisa in Zagreb lucidly said that a political group in Croatia, which he called 'a radical right-wing' perceived the change of the authority as a 'return to Yugoslavia by which they implicitly say that they see the Croatian state instrumentally and recognise as a Croatian state only if they rule in Croatia. The same might be applied to their 'Herceg-Bosna' followers. The Dayton Bosnia might have been an acceptable compensation for 'Herceg Bosna' as long as it was the authority in it. As soon as that state is not under its control any more, a new organisation should be established, which will act like that, even at the cost of conflicts with the international community and with a risk of international isolation. Even this week that B&H problem will, through the parliamentary procedure, be imported as the Croat(ian) national (state) problem and just for the reason that those from Croatia, who share Jelavic's views, think that they can de-stabilise the present authority in that way. What it means for the international position of Croatia is something they do not care about at all because they view the state instrumentally , or, as Budisa rightfully says, even this independent Croatia became 'a hateful Yugoslavia' to them. Vijesnik: Economic sanctions to the Croat people in B&H By Mario Marusic The international officials in B&H decided to use rigorous economic sanctions, in combination with political pressures, against the entire Croat people in B&H,. A highly positioned Croat official who wanted to remain anonymous is asking himself towards whom the international community is directing the sanctions. After all, if the same international community is 'pushing for ' economic reforms and foreign investments, speaking about the necessity for the B&H economy to get recovered, then, why is IC is putting the Mostar Aluminum factory, according to many indicators the most successful company in B&H, with whom a series of prominent companies from all over the world have business operations, among those who might find themselves affected by the sanctions? Why are Barry and company, our interlocutor goes on, threatening to disable the functioning of the Hercegovacka Bank, which is also, according to many indicators, the most profitable bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was confirmed in all revisions done by the world auditory companies to have legal business operations. In that context, quite logical question is posed as to what the international community wants in B&H. If someone is a criminal or misuses his position, what was said to the account of many Croat politicians in B&H by the representatives of the international community in the past days, then, there are judicial institutions to deal with those actions, and issue their verdict instead of trying to destroy the most sound system in B&H by imposing sanctions on the economic companies. What the international community is doing, the source of Vjesnik claims, are not any political moves but a kind of special war against the Croat people. A senior Croat official that Vjesnik interviewed on Monday in Mostar said with some irony: "Thank God Tudjman is not with us anymore," explaining it by the fact that the RC would have suffered terrifying pressure and blackmails due to the current situation during the Tudjman time, as opposed to the current pressures on Racan and Mesic which are, as is further interpreted, are in much better relations with the IC and are not under so much pressure. As he says, the interview that Wolfgang Petritsch gave to the Vienna-based Courier is on the line of sowing dissension among Croats. In the interview, the HR says that "the nationalistic biotop on the grounds of which there can be no compromise, is growing in Herzegovina" and that the IC, at the same time, "must convince Croats in B&H that the democratic way is the better way." Bitterness is there also due to the editorial policy of the HRT, which, in their two last central newscasts, have given much space to Ilija Simic (HSS), who only won 163 votes (?!) at the November elections, and now he would represent Croats in the two Houses of Parliament, while, on the other hand, the importance of the voters' will and the almost plebiscite-like support of the Croat people to the HNS parties are not respected. Republika: Self-government that would be dominated by HDZ B&H is a move of desperate people who are losing power By K. Stambolic The forthcoming referendum for Croat self-government in B&H is doomed to failure in advance. On the one hand, what stands in its background is too little political subtlety to become a realistic platform for autonomy of one people. On the other hand, Jelavic is too shortsighted as a politician to be able to avoid the destiny of the famous referendum "for cultural autonomy" which was conducted in SAO Krajina in the early nineties. In the time when a Croat autonomous little state has no country to be annexed to, because the mother country does not want it and the old one cannot absorb it, police investigators are sitting in front of the Siroki Brijeg doors, as they have already got the green light for an inspection into all of the criminal actions that the HDZ were directly involved in. Self-government that would be dominated by the HDZ can be seen only as an action of desperate people faced with losing the power that they were enjoying for ten years. Incited by pure envy to their "brothers in arms" in the RS, who have been enjoying the benefits of their para-statehood for five years now, the HDZ B&H raised the issue of revision, but not abolishment of the essentially unfair Dayton Agreement. This fact reveals the real motives behind this action of the political elite of the party which wants nothing else but for Mostar to become Banja Luka and Herzegovina - Republika Srpska. Although there are no conditions for formal secession from B&H in this moment, self-government would allow Jelavic to keep a low profile, like many times so far, and wait for the moment when Serbs will make the first step. Dayton is dead, long live Dayton.

The BiH Media Round-up is being compiled primarily for the OHR's internal purposes under time pressure. Please disregard grammar and typing mistakes. The mentioned media reports do not reflect OHR views, and the OHR does not take responsibility for them.

OHR BiH Media Round-up