\u201cRepresentatives for the Croats are chosen by others, they have no protection, that\u2019s a big loss for Croatian politics, Zagreb, towards the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As long as there is the possibility of others electing a member of the Presidency for the Croats, it amounts to fraud. The international community is doing nothing, and Croatia isn\u2019t doing enough. Long ago we should have taken advantage of the instruments available to us as NATO and EU members. We should have just watched how others do it. The state is an instrument\u201d, the President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 commented in Kastav on the elections being held in BiH today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked what his view is on the announcement that the High Representative in BiH would impose new election rules, President Milanovi\u0107 said he doesn\u2019t know, but that \u201cCroatia has to take care of business by itself and not be at the mercy of a bureaucrat because the fate of Croats in BiH will depend on that in the next four years. This situation is untenable\u201d, he added, and reiterated that Croatia is not allowed to take part in the European Union\u2019s military operation ALTHEA in BiH that is underway under a mandate of the Security Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see that the Croatian diplomacy has begun to do something in this matter. But you have to go to the end. We are a state and our will shall be respected there because we are a signatory of Dayton. BiH was liberated with Croatian arms and Croatian lives period. NATO didn\u2019t liberate BiH. President Milanovi\u0107 recalled that pursuant to the Tu\u0111man-Izetbegovi\u0107 agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina was liberated also by Croatia’s weapons and by Croatian soldiers with several hundreds of them giving up their lives there. Croatian policy and foreign policy that don\u2019t respect that are weak\u201d, President Milanovi\u0107 stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked by journalists if this is a message for Prime Minister Plenkovi\u0107? The President reminded that he has been talking about this for the past two years, and went on: \u201cIf no other way, then obstruct and put a veto on something that is important to others for them to realize that we exist. After attempts, mistakes, analyses, good relationships and friendship with some Bosnia and Herzegovina politicians such as \u017deljko Kom\u0161i\u0107, I have realized that those are frauds and people who cannot be trusted. Such politicians take advantage of the fact that the Croats are the least numerous, and the Croats are doomed to extinction if their rights are not institutionally protected, he said. Therefore, Dayton is an agreement on the separation of power and influence between Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commenting on the possible outcome of the elections in BiH, President Milanovi\u0107 stated: \u201cIf it will be bad, it will be very bad for the Croats. The Croats stated that they would go for some form of self-administration, I will support them in this matter\u201d. Once again he called on them to vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, President Milanovi\u0107 warned today of a decision by Defense Minister Mario Bano\u017ei\u0107 to allow a HDZ Member of Parliament to attend the War College, even though it is unlawful. \u201cMinister Bano\u017ei\u0107 has sent an individual to the Croatian Army\u2019s War College, someone who is not eligible, a Member of Parliament. The War College is an elite institution for the upbringing and education of senior Croatian officers who may become generals in the future. That is no place for Members of Parliament and there was never anyone from the Parliament there, because the law says so. The Minister signed that a Member of Parliament can attend the War College, even though only civil servants are eligible. The law says only civil servants provided that they have ten years\u2019 seniority. A Member of Parliament is an official\u201d, the President explained, and announced what action he would take if the Minister does not amend his decision. \u201cIf they do not retract, I will personally prohibit these individuals from entering Croatian Army premises. An order will be issued whereby such individuals may not enter the barracks because they are criminals. This is a kidnapping of the Croatian state, they are kidnapping the state\u201d, President Milanovi\u0107 stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Milanovi\u0107 informed that the Military and Security Agency\u2019s (VSOA) Director requested his dismissal after the President earlier initiated the procedure due to the findings of an inspection of the VSOA. \u201cThe still current VSOA director sent a letter to me on Friday requesting his dismissal. He sent it to Plenkovi\u0107 too because he is a soldier. He sent the request to me as Commander in Chief and to Plenkovi\u0107 as Prime Minister. What\u2019s next? Wait until the HDZ figures out who their choice is for VSOA director and send it to me to sign? Maybe, but together with all the other appointments they have been obstructing for the past year\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President noted that the Defense Minister is again pursuing the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, and concluded: \u201cWe have been hearing this story for an entire year that the HDZ wants to be Commander in Chief of the Croatian Army. No pasar\u00e1n! I am Commander in Chief, I was elected to this office. Not Bano\u017ei\u0107, not Plenkovi\u0107, not the HDZ\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The still current VSOA director sent a letter to me on Friday requesting his dismissal. He sent it to Plenkovi\u0107 too because he is a soldier. He sent the request to me as Commander in Chief and to Plenkovi\u0107 as Prime Minister. What\u2019s next? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":19364,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-19367","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n