In Mostar, the names of the streets, which bore the names of Ustasha ideologues, were changed

The City Council of Mostar decided today that the streets, which for the last 27 years have been named after Ustasha ideologues from the time of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), will get new names.We are talking about six streets in the western part of the city, where the majority of Croats live, and whose names were given by the wartime HDZ government, with Mata Boban and Bruno Stojić at the helm.

25 councilors voted in the city assembly to rename the streets of Mile Budak, Vokić and Lorković, Rafael Boban, Djura Spužević, Jure Francetić and Ivo Tabornik to the streets of Alekse Šantić, Tino Ujević, Fr. Ljudevit Lasta, Ica Voljevic, Humska and Ciglan, while eight of them abstained from voting.

The decision to change the street name was preceded by a stormy discussion, as some councilors had objections to the new street names.

The remarks, above all, related to the name of the street of Fr. Ljudevit Lasta, which, as stated by some councilors, greeted with “Za dom spremni”.

Certain councilors considered that the name of the street after Tin Ujević, who, as pointed out, “has nothing to do with Mostar, but has nothing to do with NDH, whose state news agency he wrote for throughout the Second World War” is also disputed.

The American Embassy in Sarajevo welcomed the decision of the City Council of Mostar to rename six city streets.

“This change will improve the international image and reputation of Mostar, which were tarnished with street names that were glorified by individuals unworthy of mention and which were in contrast to the modern, open and prosperous Mostar that its residents deserve and that the current administration of the City is trying to build,” it was pointed out. is in a statement from the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They added that “some will consider this solution neither ideal nor perfect, but that perfection is not the goal, but that the goal is tolerance, consensus and inclusiveness”.

“The USA welcomes the leadership of Mayor Mario Kordić and the President of the City Council, Salem Marić, who cooperated to reach a compromise and put the common good before narrow, nationalist political interests,” the announcement states.

It was also assessed that the willingness to compromise, shown by Kordić and Marić, should be an example to all political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at all levels of government.

“It’s time for other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially Sarajevo and Banjaluka, to follow the example of Mostar and change the names of streets that belong to dishonorable individuals in their neighborhoods,” the statement said.