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Bosnian Croat nationalists protest election of moderate

Several thousand Bosnian Croat nationalists have protested the election victory of a moderate politician last weekend in the race for the Croat seat in Bosnia's three-person presidency

Bosnian Croat nationalists protest election of moderate Image Source : APBosnian Croat nationalists protest election of moderate

MOSTAR, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Several thousand Bosnian Croat nationalists have protested the election victory of a moderate politician last weekend in the race for the Croat seat in Bosnia's three-person presidency.

The crowd Thursday marched through the ethnically divided southern town of Mostar holding banners reading "Not my president" and "RIP democracy" in protest at the election of Zeljko Komsic.

Bosnia's presidency also has a Muslim and a Serb member. A peace deal that ended Bosnia's 1992-95 ethnic war created a Muslim-Croat region and a Serb region held together in a central government.

Komsic advocates strengthening Bosnia's unity. Nationalists are disputing his election, saying he was backed by Muslim voters and does not represent Croats.

The dispute could push the volatile country into a political crisis. A nationalist Croat party won the parliamentary vote and could stall the formation of a government.

Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.