The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation
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first free elections in June 1990. However, the Croatian Democratic<br />
Community (HDZ) won.<br />
Instead <strong>of</strong> a programme, the HDZ made great promises, wanted <strong>to</strong> lead<br />
Croatia in<strong>to</strong> the EU, <strong>and</strong> bring about a level <strong>of</strong> prosperity similar <strong>to</strong> that <strong>of</strong><br />
Switzerl<strong>and</strong>. Its chairman, Franjo Tudjman, also called on all Croatians in<br />
the Diaspora for help. <strong>The</strong>y gave him money, <strong>and</strong> hoped for political careers<br />
in their own new state. Tudjman rallied people around him who<br />
strengthened him, but at the same time aroused fears <strong>of</strong> Croatian extrem -<br />
ism harking back <strong>to</strong> the time <strong>of</strong> Ante Paveli <strong>and</strong> his “Independent State<br />
<strong>of</strong> Croatia”. Mass dismissals <strong>of</strong> Serbs <strong>and</strong> their family members made<br />
this fear grow. Although the HDZ hadn’t openly proclaimed the smashing<br />
<strong>of</strong> Yugoslavia <strong>and</strong> the foundation <strong>of</strong> an independent state, the rhe<strong>to</strong>ric <strong>of</strong><br />
its chairman showed that this was obviously his primary objective.<br />
In Macedonia <strong>to</strong>o, the opposition won in November 1990, but as in Slovenia,<br />
the people voted for the old, experienced president.<br />
In the elections in November 1990 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the citizens<br />
voted only for their national parties: Croats for the HDZ, Serbs for the Serbian<br />
Democratic Party, <strong>and</strong> Muslims for the Party <strong>of</strong> the Democratic Alter -<br />
na tive. Only in Serbia <strong>and</strong> Montenegro did the Communists win the<br />
elec tions in December 1990, as carriers <strong>of</strong> the Greater Serbian movement.<br />
It was impossible <strong>to</strong> hold elections at the federal Yugoslav level, for Serbia<br />
<strong>and</strong> Slovenia prevent it with their ve<strong>to</strong>es. Prime Minister Markovic´<br />
thereupon founded a federal party, the League <strong>of</strong> Reform Forces <strong>of</strong> Yugoslavia.<br />
But this idea failed; it was already <strong>to</strong>o late.<br />
After the transition <strong>of</strong> power in 1990, the process <strong>of</strong> the decomposition<br />
<strong>of</strong> Yugoslavia continued <strong>and</strong> was radicalized. Virtually all Serbs considered<br />
the elections in Slovenia as the Slovenian secession from Yugoslavia<br />
<strong>and</strong> those in Croatia as the triumph <strong>of</strong> the Ustaša. <strong>The</strong> results were used<br />
as a message <strong>and</strong> a call <strong>to</strong> the masses <strong>to</strong> continue the national struggle,<br />
even with weapons. <strong>The</strong> Serbian leadership <strong>and</strong> the Yugoslav People’s<br />
Army accelerated their preparations for war, <strong>and</strong> the new governments<br />
in Slovenia <strong>and</strong> Croatia accelerated their secession <strong>and</strong> their au<strong>to</strong>nomy.<br />
Everyone rushed <strong>to</strong> accomplish his own goal.<br />
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