Candidates for Croatian General Elections
4th and 5th July 2020 on “Independent List Zeljko Glasnovic
From left front row! Marko Juric, Zeljko Glasnovic, Ina Vukic, Mate Knezovic Back row from left: Milena Matic, Tomislav Sunic, Marina Sunić-Zakman, Elizabeta Mađarevi, Srecko Telar Candidates not on photo: Marko Perkovic, Martina Ćurić, Franjo Miroslav Perkovic,
Marina Sabljic, Kresimir Tabak,
Only about 18 months ago I wrote that lustration in Croatia starts in Australia. Yesterday’s General Elections for Croatian Parliament results have proved that is the case.
Knowing in advance that candidates running for Croatian Parliament from the diaspora have no chance of getting in due to discrimination built into the Electoral law I am pleased to say that an overwhelming victory by our Independent list Zeljko Glasnovic in every polling booth in Australia where I live was achieved, with the highest percentage of votes being in Sydney (states of NSW and Queensland) 77% and Melbourne (States of Victoria and South Australia) 63% Canberra 51%…
The sadly realistic point about running as a candidate at elections for the Croatian Parliament from the Croatian diaspora has never been about possibility of winning because winning, due to brutal discrimination within the Electoral legislation, which makes winning a parliamentary seat an impossible outcome! The point about running as a candidate at elections for the Croatian Parliament from the Croatian diaspora is about fighting for justice and fighting against discrimination and collecting evidence of that abominable discrimination against people (the Diaspora) who were crucial in the fight for independence from communist Yugoslavia. Croatian HDZ and SDP governments since year 2000 have ensured that they place the Croatian diaspora within the same Electorate (XI) as Bosnia and Herzegovina and that they reduce the number of seats from 12 to 3! Furthermore, more than 90% of Croatian eligible voters in the diaspora physically cannot reach a polling booth due to distance and prohibitive personal costs for travel to the booth. Bosnia and Herzegovina has thousands upon thousands more voters who are able to access polling places on election day than the Diaspora. In the Diaspora in 2010 the Croatian government has done away with accessible voting booths that used to exist within Croatian clubs etc in the diaspora and limited the polling booths to Croatian Consulates and Embassies!
Talk about passive aggression against own people! This is a painful example!
This is purposeful discrimination against citizens by a government and it cannot be ignored nor unattended. This is a purposeful action of former communists and their followers who want corruption, nepotism and citizen-unfriendly laws to continue, to thrive just as they did in former communist Yugoslavia. I have felt it on my own back as a candidate from Australia but Australian Croats have done me proud, have done retired General Zeljko Glasnovic proud. Overwhelming majority of voters in Australia – true fighters for democracy and freedom and lasting well-being of all Croats. Even if official Croatia has failed miserably at lustration, the General Elections’ results in Australia (and I am quite confident it will be the same for rest of the Croatian diaspora, e.g. USA, Canada, South America…) overwhelmingly demonstrate that they themselves have managed to implement lustration in their local communities. They have managed to decimate HDZ/Croatian Democratic Union and SDP/Social Democratic Party to smithereens!
This should be a glorious wake-up call for democracy-loving Croatians of today whose voices have been silenced by discrimination and lies!
My personal gratitude to all Croatians in Australia who have been able to reach a polling booth and who voted, in droves, voted for the Independent list Zeljko Glasnovic on which list I myself stood as a candidate! The fight for truth and justice continues! Ina Vukic
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And so it should be. The effort has to continue because justice will be done one day. All perseverance has its fruits. And you have amply demonstrated it. Good for you Ina. Congratulations.
Thank you Manuel!
Ypu are welcome
Thank you for all the work you do. May God bless you, and may God bless Croatia!!!
Thank you Carl! Nothing will deter justice and truth
Dear inavukic, your efforts have all been absolutely wonderful, i have gained much from your work in a most positive manner. Thankyou. Stay safe and well. Peace and love from south aust.
Thanks Gary <3
Congratulations! May God and the great saints of Croatia bless and watch over you and a wonderful land. And a virtual pint of Croatian beer to celebrate.
Thank you Elisa
I’ve not heard of lustration as a political policy before. I think it is a good idea, but it could also be open to misuse so needs care.
Yes EAM former communist countries in Eastern Europe have actually passed such laws after fall of Berlin Wall etc. The spirit and word behind such laws is to democratise a former communist government and targets mainly high positioned public officials in former totalitarian regimes as well as academic etc cleansing. Like any law that too is open to abuse however if a country is a democracy then mechanisms to monitor implementation are built in to minimise misuse
As with most political and legal stuff, writing the law is not the end. Continuous vigilance is needed to keep it on track.
Very much so, “policing” implementation of laws is always necessary and particularly so in cases of lustration laws that in former communist countries mean the actual turn towards a fully functional democracy, where remnants of totalitarianism is still present at many levels