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Croatia


Marinko Culic of the Split weekly "Feral Tribune" discusses the situation within the Croatian ruling party after the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the independent news pool "AIM" on September 20, 1998.

It seemed after the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina that the position of Tudjman’s HDZ party has consolidated and strengthened. But, no matter how true this is, no one should rush with the conclusion about some great and decisive triumph of the HDZ in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and particularly about some boundless pleasure of official Zagreb with the results of the elections. It is known that Jelavic was chosen as the leader of the HDZ in Bosnia and Herzegovina through some form of a tribal coup and without Tudjman’s consent, but that Tudjman accepted him and supported him during the elections after all, just to deepen the process of political pluralization mong Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has begun before this.

It seems that this concludes the wide support for Jelavic, since immediately after the elections in Zagreb, political action has begun which is directed at curbing his political influence. Defence minister Andrija Hebrang has announced that he will continue with personnel shake up in this ministry, which is considered as the main stronghold of the Herzegovina military circles in Croatia, and it is thought that it is these circles that have directly brought Jelavic to the post he now holds.

As a reaction to an interview by the leader of the HDZ liberal faction who accused these same circles as trying to undermine his faction, Hebrang announced an investigation in the Security Information Service (SIS), the main intelligence service, which is lead by one of the key exponents of the Herzegovina military lobby, Markica Rebic. It is quite certain that Hebrang is not surging at Rebic, whom he has practically replaced a few months ago, but who has regained his position and was even promoted, by his own free will. A signal to continue what has been began he undoubtedly received from Tudjman, as it is almost certain that certain that it was the head of state who is behind the temporary halt of this action while the Bosnian elections are held.


Source: Independent news pool "AIM", September 20, 1998

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