Croatian human rights ombudsman Jurica Malcic has said that a statement made by Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) official Josip Djakic at an HDZ rally in Osijek on Wednesday is unacceptable and an example of intolerance towards ethnic Serbs.
In reference to Djakic's statement that "Rajko, Rade, Zoki - I almost thought we were talking about a Serbian government, not a Croatian one," alluding to the names and nicknames of Opposition politicians, Malcic said in a press release on Thursday that this was an example of inflammatory speech calling for discrimination, which the ombudsman stressed was banned by law.
"It is worrying that this outburst of intolerance and incitement to discrimination among citizens along ethnic lines did not meet with immediate condemnation and disapproval from other people present at the party rally, but their response is expected to follow," Malcic said.
Croatian People's Party (HNS) parliamentarian Goran Beus Richembergh told reporters in the parliament building on Thursday morning that Djakic's statement was bordering on the xenophobic. "It is sad," he added.
Silvano Hrelja of the Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU) said that Djakic's statement was "nonsense that deservers no comment".
