The Croat Democratic Union 1990 (HDZ 1990) Presidency held a session on Saturday and nominated its senior member Diana Zelenika to run for the Croat member of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency in this year’s election.

Addressing a press conference following the session, the party leader Ilija Cvitanovic said that the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS), an organization gathering Croat political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was deprived of its fundamental role. He directly accused the ruling HDZ BiH and its leader of such situation.

“It (HNS) served solely and only to the achievement of personal and partisan goals of Dragan Covic and HDZ BiH. Owing to such relations within HNS, we had no doubt that we as a party had to offer a different path, a more responsible, honourable, and more fair politics. I am sure that the time will come when HNS will become what Croat people expect it to be,” said Cvitanovic.

HDZ 1990 leader also conveyed a message to Croatia’s leadership, namely the President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, urging them “not to ignore Croats who disagree with HDZ BiH’s politics.”

“It is tragic that you never mentioned in your public appearances some other parties taking care of status of Croats in Bosnia. It is tragic that your only source of information about the status of us, Croats in Bosnia is exactly that politics which brought us here. If you are not ready to say ‘stop’ to that politics, you directly share the responsibility for exodus, nepotism and other evil that is happening under auspices of HDZ (BiH),” underlined Cvitanovic, leader of the party formed in 2006 after a part of membership left HDZ BiH due to disagreements.

In her speech that followed the nomination, Zelenika said it was necessary to respond to evil.

“I give you my word, this country will be great and strong, healthy and happy. (…) Let’s show that we can and that we know. That we are capable of loving and forgiving, appreciating and building. The happiness is within a reach, we just have to take it and seize it from nationalists,” added Zelenika.

The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina will cast their vote on October 7, when they will elect the members of the state tripartite Presidency, entity presidents, as well as members of the state, entity and cantonal parliaments.