MPs warn Croat communities in Bosnia and Serbia face great difficulties

The clubs of deputies in parliament have endorsed proposed changes to legislation regulating the Croatian Heritage Foundation, the country’s main organization for nurturing ties with the Croatian diaspora around the globe.

MP’s used the debate of the changes to underscore the difficulties faced by Croat communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, agreeing that greater efforts were needed to improve the political and material rights of these communities.
 
Besides fighting for the material rights of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we must fight or their political rights. The electoral law in Bosnia and Herzegovina must allow Croats to chose their own representatives,” said HDZ MP Ivan Šuker, adding that Croatia must increase financial aid to communities abroad.
 
Independents for Croatia MP Željko Glasnović said Croats abroad should be allowed to vote by mail-in ballot. He accused the HDZ of failing to pass this measure despite being in power for most of the post-Homeland War period. HDZ MP Ante Babić pointed out that Croatia’s constitution only allows voting abroad at consular offices. He said Croats abroad were a very important resource that Croatia has failed to capitalize on.
 
Miro Bulj of Most said Croatia had failed its people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and warned that issues concerning the Croat minority in Serbia remained unsolved. Within this context, he said, state officials should not be traveling to Serbia until the major issues such as the identification of missing persons from the Homeland War are not resolved.
 
HDZ MP Miroslav Tuđman warned that the Croatian Heritage Foundation law did not allow the organization to open offices outside of Croatia.
“If we want to build bridges toward our diaspora community then we must not place such limitations in our laws,” he said.
 
Not all MPs agreed that Croatia was not doing enough for Croats abroad. “We can always do better, but Croatia is giving more assistance to its communities abroad than it can afford,” said Pensioners Party MP Silvano Hrelja. 

New legislation on the Croatian Heritage Foundation is meant to bring the organization, its structure and work in line with legislation regulating institutions. Under the new law, the Croatian Heritage Foundation would become a public institution and a legal entity registered with the courts whose job it is to help establish closer ties between Croatia and Croat communities around the world.