The Croatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Croatian: Hrvatska stranka prava Bosne i Hercegovine or HSP BiH) is an extra-parliamentary party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The party was established in 2004 as a splinter of the Croatian Party of Rights established in 1991, under the name Croatian Party of Rights Đapić-dr. Jurišić, named after its founders Anto Đapić and Zvonko Jurišić. In 2010, the main party dissolved, while the Croatian Party of Rights Đapić-dr. Jurišić usurped their name.
Currently, the party has one representative in the Cantonal Assembly of the West Herzegovina Canton.
History
The Croatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina was originally established as a splinter party of the Croatian Party of Rights in 2004 and was named Croatian Party of Rights Đapić-dr. Jurišić, named after its founders, Anto Đapić, the president of the Croatian Party of Rights in Croatia and Zvonko Jurišić. In August 2005, the HSP BiH absorbed the Croatian Rights Bloc.
In February 2010, the original HSP BiH ceased to exist, and the leaders of other two minor Croat parties, the Croatian People's Union and the Croatian Unity of Herzeg-Bosnia agreed to join the HSP BiH under the joint name, now usurped from the original party the Croatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The change was done by the Municipal Court in Mostar.
After political turmoil, the HSP BiH agreed to form a coalition government with other Bosniak parties, excluding the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) and the HDZ 1990, their former coalition partners, who received most of the Croat votes. In March 2011, the HSP BiH's representative in the Cantonal Assembly of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Živko Budimir was appointed the President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the decision of High Representative Valentin Inzko, who's decision enabled the formation of the new Federal government without the support of the Croat representatives in the House of Peoples of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[7] This appointment enabled the formation of the new Federal government without Croat political parties.
The HSP BiH's entry into the unpopular Federal government among the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina resulted in many members leaving the party, including high officials. In 2013, Živko Budimir challenged Jurišić's leadership of the HSP BiH, and after losing the inter-party election, he formed the new Party of Justice and Trust (SPP).[8][9][10] Many members of the HSP BiH joined the newly formed SPP. The flight continued, with many municipal councillors and cantonal assembly representatives leaving the party, including the two HSP BiH's ministers of the Federal Government the very same year. At the 2014 Bosnian general election, the party won two representatives in the Cantonal Assembly of West Herzegovina Canton and one representative in the Cantonal Assembly of Canton 10.[11] The party managed to get one representative in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska on a joint list with other Bosniak political parties.[12]
In 2015, Stanko Primorac was elected the HSP BiH's president, while Jurišić was appointed the President of the Main Headquarters. At the 2018 Bosnian general election, the HSP BiH won one representative in the Cantonal Assembly of the West Herzegovina Canton. The same day, the HSP BiH signed an agreement with former Croatian Party of Rights — Dr. Ante Starčević president Ivan Tepeš.[13] In 2017, another split occurred, with several party members "reviving" the original HSP BiH. In 2020, the two parties along with other fringe parties, joined together under Raguž's leadership. At the 2022 Bosnian general election, the HSP BiH had a similar result, winning one representative in the Cantonal Assembly of the West Herzegovina Canton.
