After Change of Head of Bugojno Municipality

Better Days for Returnees

AIM Bugojno, 5 May, 1999

When High Representative of the international community in B&H, ambassador Carlos Westendorp, in February this year suspended the notorious head of Bugojno municipality Dzevad Mlaco, noting that his suspension would be reviewed after March, banished Croats from Bugojno welcomed this decision with satisfaction and disbelief at the same time: they feared that Mlaco would be reinstated to the post after 30 March. This however, did not happen, because on 25 February, according to instructions from a higher instance (headqurters of the Party of Democratic Action-SDA) Mlaco sumbitted his resignation with the explanation that the post of the head of the minicipality was "uincompatible with the duty of a deputy in the Chamber of Peoples of the B&H Assembly" as if he had not discharged the two duties at the same time, regardless of their being in collision. By submitting resignation Mlaco was sparing partly himself and partly his party - SDA, from a new political strike of the international community.

What was decisive for High Representative to make up his mind to discharge the first man of the municipality of Bugojno who is considered to be a war criminal by the local Croats? Mlaco is known as a local power wielder who was constantly opposed to return of the banished from Bugojno, who refused to comply with election results usurping complete power in the city, the one because of whom this municipality has been under economic sanctions for two years due to illegal use of privately owned real estate and land. It all reached its climax with Mlaco's attack on ombudsman of B&H Federation, Branka Raguz, born in Bugojno, which was qualified in the Office of High Representative as "undermining the institution of the ombudsmen to the detriment of citizens of B&H Federation".

Soon after Mlaco's departure, that is discharge, the municipal council of Bugojno met and elected Mustafa Strukar, councilman from SDA, a psychiatrist by vocation, to the post. He was unanimously supported by councilmen from the Croat Democratic Community (HDZ) as well. The Catholic parish priest of Bugojno, father Miro Majdancic, believes that a significant move forward has been made and that this will have a favourable psychological impact on possible returnees to the city. The director of the First Elementary School which is at the moment using the premises of the parish office, Stipe Saric, stresses that he expects Annex VII of the Dayton peace agreement on return of everybody to their homes will from now on be implemented in Bugojno. President of the municipal council Ivo Mrso says that the international community has finally realised that Mlaco was an obstacle to progress, and that because of him Bugojno was a "black hole" in B&H Federation. He also believes that suspension was too mild a punishment for all Mlaco's sins and adds that "a new political climate is felt with the arrival of Mustafa Strukar". At the same time, the newly elected president of HDZ in Bugojno, Ivica Zelic, emphasises that "even kind words are encouraging and breaking the dark Mlaco's clouds". Zelic stresses the new cooperativeness in Bugojno stating that he meets with Strukar every Thursday to discuss problems and seek solutions for them, which was inconceivable during Mlaco's rule. Concerning plans for the future, president of Bugojno HDZ says that the main aims of Croat policy in Bugojno at the moment is "to reclaim one of three school buildings so children will not have to attend school in the parish office, to reveal the truth about the destiny of 21 Bugojno Croats who disappeared during the conflict with B&H Army, as well as to accelerate reconstruction, return and employment".

The mentioned First Elementary School in Bugojno is attended by about 170 children in all the eight grades, and the number of pupils is constantly increasing which proves that more and more banished citizens of Bugojno are returning. According to the data offered by the local Information Centre, there are about 2,300 Croats living here at the moment, and 2,718 Croat families have expressed a wish to return, along with 556 Serb and 275 Bosniac families. Deputy municiopal head who is in charge of return and reconstruction, Ljuban Vidovic underlines that this year about 15 thousand banished persons are planning to return to 26 settlements in Bugojno municipality, and reconstruction of 1,676 houses is expected, 1,140 of which belonged to Croats, 385 to Serbs and 201 to Bosniacs. Although last year was proclaimed to be the "year of return", Vidovic says that there are indications that this year might be the real year of return thanks to a more active involvement of the international community in this process and readiness of the new head of the municipality to support return of banished persons and refugees. Although he is at the post of the municipal head just two months, Strukar believes that many significant moves have been made, especially thanks to cooperation with the international community and presence of the personal envoy of UN High representative for B&H, Ulrich Bucher, with whom there are everyday contacts. There were also a few visits of members of the federal government, and contacts have been established with heads of municipalities where banished Croats live: Livno, Prozor-Rama, Jajce and Tomislav Grad.

Since he came to the new post Strukar visited Livno twice, and the head of the municipality of Livno, Stipe Barun visited Bugojno. The two men talked about possibilities of return of banished Bugojno Croats and reconstruction of their homes, and it was agreed to propose reconstruction of the homes of the Croats in Bugojno to representatives of international community, which would enable return in both directions. There are about 1,700 Croats from Bugojno living in Livno and occupying about 250 houses of domiciled Bosniacs. In the past period Bugojno was also visited by Serbs from this city who are living in municipalities of Bratunac and Srebrenica, about 40 of them, but also almost 80 Croats from Bugojno who are staying in Dalmatia and other parts of neighbouring Croatia with the status of refugees. In talks with representatives of municipal authorities they found out that activities on implementation of Annex VII of Dayton peace accords would be intensified and that greater attention would be devoted to return of citizens of Serb ethnic origin.

Out of the total of 7,000 displaced Serbs from Bugojno, about 2,000 of them have applied for return - there were about 330 applications for restoration of tenancy rights, and 230 for reclaiming privately owned houses. On the territory of this municipality 150 Serb houses have been destroyed, and the rate of return will depend on the arrival of donations for their reconstruction. Before the war there were about 17 thousand employed workers, and nowadays there are less than 4 thousand, a large number of whom actually work just occasionally. The greatest enterprise in the whole municipality was the factory of office furniture called Slavko Rodic, which used to have eight production plants and employed about 7 thousand men. For reconstruction of the housing units and the economy, according to certain estimates, Bugojno needs about 40 million German marks, most of which was promised by international organizations, but under the condition that Bugojno "opens its door" for return of prewar inhabitants of Serb and Croat ethnic origin. "I wish to stress that return of inhabitants of Serb and Croat ethnic origin is a process, and according to Dayton agreement, everybody is entitled to return to the prewar place of residence", says Strukar adding that favourable political climate for return has already been created in Bugojno, and the promised aid of the international community is expected to begin flowing in soon. Strukar also stresses that in the future good news will be arriving from Bugojno, and notes that once a week he meets with his associates - president of the municipal council Mrsa and president of Bugojno HDZ Zelic. "At the moment, 21 Croats and two Serbs are employed in the municipal administration who are discharging their duties withoout any obstacles", says Strukar reminding that for two years already, multiethnic police has been operating in Bugojno, in which there are policemen of Croat and Serb ethnic origin.

In the past few days, at the municipal court in Bugojno, evidence has been presented in a trial against eight Bosniacs charged for the crime of terrorism, who were protected from justice in Mlaco's era. Members of the tribunal decided that the trial would contionue on 13 May this year. Judge Andjelko Marjanovic chairs the tribunal, and the sentence might be pronouncedby the ned of this month. Speaking about the new political climate which is being created in Bugojno, the new municipal head says that he was especially happy and satisfied that a Croat orchestra with priest father Mirko Majdancic participated at the celebration of the Day of the Independence of B&H (1 May). "I sent him a thank you note and photographs from the celebration, I think these are good steps towards creation of a favourable climate in Bugojno", says Strukar adding that members of the Croat cultural society called Napredak, part of this organization from Zenica, had a concert for the first time in Bugojno, and that representatives of executive authorities and legislature of Bugojno were present, with himself at their head, which has so far been unthinkable.

Nedzad VREBAC

(AIM)