Dobroslav Paraga (born 9 December 1960) is a

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

n right-wing politician. He was first president of the Croatian Party of Rights, after the party was reestablished in 1991. In 1993 he founded the

Croatian Party of Rights 1861 Croatian Party of Rights 1861 ( hr, Hrvatska stranka prava 1861 or HSP 1861) is a political party in Croatia. It was founded in 1995 as a splinter party of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP, itself founded in 1990) following the removal of Croat ...

following a political split from Anto Đapić.

Background

In his early days Paraga advocated the secession of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

from

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

which led to persecution by the Communist authorities. When a multi-party system was established in Croatia, he initially joined the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of Franjo Tuđman. However, involvement with the party clearly indicated that there was variation in sentiment among its members. Greater Croatia 01

Paraga came to feel the HDZ was not the radical party which he had expected, and so the party split. He and a delegation of like-minded radicals formed the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP). His party formed its own militia, the

Croatian Defence Forces The Croatian Defence Forces ( hr, Hrvatske obrambene snage or HOS) were the paramilitary arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars. During the Croatian War of Independence, the HOS ...

( hr, Hrvatske obrambene snage; ''HOS''). In an interview in 2000, Paraga stated his party was “for a Croatia to the Drina, and for a

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

to the Adriatic”. Paraga and the HSP had had hopes of becoming the major political factor before the 1992 presidential and parliamentary elections, but those hopes did not materialise. The HSP did enter the

Croatian Parliament The Croatian Parliament ( hr, Hrvatski sabor) or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sab ...

and Paraga came fourth among presidential candidates, but it was clear that the party was far from its target. Another blow came in the form of high treason charges against Paraga and his associate Anto Đapić, who were stripped of their parliamentary immunity. Those charges were ultimately dropped, but the most serious blow for Paraga came when Đapić turned against him and took over the leadership of the HSP at the 1993 party convention in

Kutina Kutina is a town in central Croatia, the largest settlement in the hilly region of Moslavina, in the Sisak-Moslavina County. The town proper has a population of 13,735 (2011), while the total municipal population is 22,760. The settlement of Kut ...

. Paraga accused Đapić of being in cahoots with Tuđman and tried to retrieve party leadership in court.

Modern activity

Following the failure of the effort and second split with fellow party members, in 1995 Paraga founded a party called

, claiming to be the true descendant of the 19th century party in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

References

External links

Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paraga, Dobroslav 1960 births Living people Politicians from Zagreb Croatian Democratic Union politicians Representatives in the modern Croatian Parliament Candidates in the 1992 Croatian presidential election Croatian Party of Rights 1861 politicians Croatian Party of Rights politicians Croatian nationalists Croatian dissidents Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Yugoslavia Croatian independence activists