A Change Of Attitude Toward Bosnian Croats

A Bosnian daily writes that the Social Democratic Party will leave Bosnian Croats without the right to vote at parliamentary elections.

With the election of Zoran Milanovic as the head of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of the Republic of Croatia, one can expect a significantly different attitude of Zagreb toward the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, writes the Bosnian daily newspaper Dnevni avaz in today’s commentary.   

On condition that his party ensure a result at the upcoming general elections that would make it possible for the party to form the government.  

“Milanovic said not so long ago that the Croatian SDP does not count too much on diaspora votes for the elections that take place in November this year. He was, in fact, utterly precise: he does not consider the B-H Croats to be diaspora. And he was categorical: the B-H Croats’ right to vote for the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia should have been abolished a long time ago,” Avaz writes. 

Milanovic clarified his viewpoint, saying that the Croats in B-H are citizens and inhabitants of B-H and that they are not diaspora. The Avaz writer finds it realistic to expect SDP to amend both the Croatian constitution and election law if they get the chance and most likely to leave the B-H Croats without the right to vote at the parliamentary elections. 

“By abolishing the right of the B-H Croats to vote for the Parliament, Milanovic’s SDP would therefore rectify a historical and political illogicality and the relations between the two states may get a better foundation for truly good neighbourly relations,” the writer concludes.