Bosnian Croats want Bosnia split into four

[Crvena zvezda]

Bosnian Croats want Bosnia split into four


SARAJEVO -- The Bosnian HDZ has presented Ivo Sanader a proposal whereby Bosnia-Hercegovina would be split into 4 federal units.

During yesterday’s one-hour meeting, President of the Bosnian branch of the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) Dragan Čović and the Croatian prime minister discussed the Kosovo crisis and its possible bearing on the situation in Bosnia-Hercegovina, as well as relations between the Bosnian HDZ and HDZ 1990, reported the Bosnian HDZ public relations department.

“Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs should transform Bosnia-Hercegovina into a decentralized, democratic, legal and social state, made up of federal units having equal rules and responsibilities,” explained Čović, report Bosnian media.

The Bosnian HDZ leader reiterated that the leaders of all six leading Croat political parties in Bosnia-Hercegovina had decided two weeks ago to support a concept according to which the country would comprise three federal units and the district of Sarajevo as a fourth.

“As a constituent people within Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croats should have Croatian-language radio and TV programs, and that will be one of the conditions of organizing the Bosnian informative system,” he explained.

Čović said that division within the country would exist as long as there was no new Constitution guaranteeing equal rights for all three of the country’s ethnic groups.

A meeting of the six Croat party leaders, where they are expected to address the subject of constitutional change, is due to take place in Široki Brijeg on February 2.

Source: http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=01&dd=24&nav_id=47198

[stribbor]

That is solution for Bosnian problems. Ethnic divide makes BiH crippled country. Four segments without ethnic majority is the only way for consociative democracy to success. But it has to be welcomed by the people. If it is directed from above and abroad, which it is, against the will of majority, then it is in its way to disaster. And majority in BiH doesn't wants BiH as a whole country, but rather they want it to see separated in three parts. Now it is impossible without another war and it will need consensus, or it will stay a governed territory of UN and EU. Another possibility is to take "neutral" road as Serbia is proclaiming. Situation in economy and society shows that it will be not Swiss neutrality, but rather that of Belarus.

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by stribbor

That is solution for Bosnian problems.

I'm pretty skeptic about that. The majority will always try to dominate, and it is impossible to create four administrative divisions without at least one nation being a slight majority in one of these divisions. The result is everlasting ethnic conflict.

[Ricardo Reis]

Originally Posted by Crvena zvezda

“As a constituent people within Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croats should have Croatian-language radio and TV programs, and that will be one of the conditions of organizing the Bosnian informative system,” he explained.

Croats shouldn't be oppressed by a Bosnian-language radio and TV programs monopoly!

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Ricardo Reis

Croats shouldn't be oppressed by a Bosnian-language radio and TV programs monopoly!

Care to explain?

[Ostrogorski]

Basically Bosnian Croats are negligible factor in Bosnia, since there are barely 100.000 of them there. Hardly will they ever be asked about the future of inner relations in Bosnia. It would be Serbs and Bosnian Muslims as the most numerous.

[Crvena zvezda]

Originally Posted by Ostrogorski

Basically Bosnian Croats are negligible factor in Bosnia, since there are barely 100.000 of them there. Hardly will they ever be asked about the future of inner relations in Bosnia. It would be Serbs and Bosnian Muslims as the most numerous.

I think the number is at least 3 times higher. It's hard to know for certain what the numbers are in Bosnia (especially the Croats), but I've heard estimates of 300.000 to 600.000 for Croats. I believe the true number is probably between 400.000 to 450.000.

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Ostrogorski

Basically Bosnian Croats are negligible factor in Bosnia, since there are barely 100.000 of them there. Hardly will they ever be asked about the future of inner relations in Bosnia. It would be Serbs and Bosnian Muslims as the most numerous.

The article is not about Bosnia alone, but also about Herzegovina.
However, by most estimates Croats are around 500 000 to 600 000 max. According to CIA factbook there were about 570 000 Croats in BiH in 1996.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Ostrogorski

Basically Bosnian Croats are negligible factor in Bosnia, since there are barely 100.000 of them there. Hardly will they ever be asked about the future of inner relations in Bosnia. It would be Serbs and Bosnian Muslims as the most numerous.

Croats control one part of Bosnia and Herzegovina nevertheless: Western Herzegovina, one (albeit tiny) part of Posavina and the area around Livno. It is approximately between one fifth and one fourth of Bosnia's territory, which is by no account negligible. So they will have to be asked about the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at least as this portion of the territory is concerned, independently of whether the other two like it or not. I know, this Croatian-controlled territory is formally part of the (Muslim-Croat) "Federation", but nevertheless all local Croatian admionistrative strucures are in their place in the above mentioned territories. They are considered as some kind of "Croatian component" within the larger frame of the Muslim-Croat Federation.

[Ostrogorski]

Yeah, I know, I was talking about the numbers, not the size of the territory.

I just looked at wikipedia and according to CIA fact book there were 1,805,910 of Bosnian Muslims in 1996, while according to 1991 census there were 1,902,956 of them. It seems to me that these numbers are over pumped up, particularly because I can guarantee that with almost 1.500.000 Serbs are far more numerous than any other population in Bosnia.

Like I said, no more than 250.000 Croats in the best case, and 1.200.000 of Bosnian Muslims in their best case.

And I think it was perhaps better that Serbs and Croats have united in federation than Muslims and Croats...

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Ostrogorski

Yeah, I know, I was talking about the numbers, not the size of the territory.

I just looked at wikipedia and according to CIA fact book there were 1,805,910 of Bosnian Muslims in 1996, while according to 1991 census there were 1,902,956 of them. It seems to me that these numbers are over pumped up, particularly because I can guarantee that with almost 1.500.000 Serbs are far more numerous than any other population in Bosnia.

Like I said, no more than 250.000 Croats in the best case, and 1.200.000 of Bosnian Muslims in their best case.

And I think it was perhaps better that Serbs and Croats united in federation than Muslims and Croats...

Are you talking about Bosnia alone?

[Ostrogorski]

Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state...

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Ostrogorski

Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state...

There was no official census since 1991, but there was an unofficial UNHCR census from 1996 and the data is available at the CIA factbook.

Hoha help us

edit:

And I think it was perhaps better that Serbs and Croats have united in federation than Muslims and Croats...

You will forgive me for not sharing your enthusiasm.

[Aramis]

Originally Posted by Monolith

There was no official census since 1991, but there was an unofficial UNHCR census from 1996 and the data is available at the CIA factbook.

Hoha help us

No problem! Here:

B&H population (2007): 3,981,239

- Retarded monkeys: 3,981,000
- Jews: 238
- High representatives: 1

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Vincent

No problem! Here:

B&H population (2007): 3,981,239

- Retarded monkeys: 3,981,000
- Jews: 238
- High representatives: 1

Hey!
You forgot to add the armed gorillas!

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Ostrogorski

And I think it was perhaps better that Serbs and Croats have united in federation than Muslims and Croats...

No, thanks. It would be equally crappy as it is now. There are no "major" and "lesser" evils in the case of different "federations" imposed from above. The only reasonable solution would have been three entities.