The same theme is explored by the commentator of the Split weekly Feral Tribune, Marinko Culic in the May 25, 1998 issue of this weekly.

One cannot expect at the moment the reapproachment of Jelavic and the Croatian opposition, since the para state umbilical cord between Zagreb and Mostar is still to strong, mainly because of the existence of the HDZ as the unifying Croatian-Bosnian and Herzegovinian party, and then because of the budgetary dependence of Mostar upon Zagreb, and so on. Along with this, Jelavic himself, at one time the chief logistics man of the HVO, gained a substantial financial profit during the war, which could help that he be held on a short leash through SIS or otherwise. But, if Jelavic is not showing the wish to cooperate with Croatian opposition, it is likewise the other way around. After Biljana Plavsic showed her solidarity with the Serbian opposition, it responded by accepting the self-reliant position of the Bosnian Serbs within the Dayton arrangement.

Even such a turn of events cannot be read from the behavior so far of the Croatian opposition parties. With the exception of one or two shy statements, they have kept quiet about the events in Mostar, most probably because of the wrong estimate that this is an internal matter of the HDZ.

When all is added up, it is quite clear that conditions for more independent activity of Mostar in relation to ZAgreb are not too bright at the moment. This is probably the main reason why Tudjman has finally accepted a more conciliatory tone towards the new leadership, although this was an attempt to cover up the fact that it actually has no operative control over it anymore. A further reason is probably that now it partly relieves itself of part of the responsibility for the events in Bosnia.

But, Tudjman will make a terrible mistake if he loses out of sight the fact that already, with the events in Mostar, the internal pluralization of the HDZ has begun. Moreover, the statements of disappointment of some of the participants already show the seams of new polarizations. For some, this is a sure sign of the beginning of the falling apart of the whole HDZ, but in the Herzegovina case it may happen paradoxically, that it becomes a mother to all parties which it did not allow to crop up so far.

I the Croatian case such scenario is even more probable since the events in Mostar could be read also as a consequence of a heavy and unstoppable crisis which has concentrated itself at the narrowest top of the ruling elite.



Source: Split weekly Feral Tribune, May 25, 1998