Croatian independence referendum, 1991
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The Croatian Independence Referendum was held on May 19, 1991 and led to independence of Croatia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Per Croatian parliament's decision made on May 2 to hold the referendum,[1] the question on the referendum was:
1. Do you support that Republic of Croatia, as a sovereign and independent state, that guarantees cultural autonomy and all civil rights to Serbs and members of other nationalities in Croatia, can join into an alliance of modern states with other republics (per suggestion of Republic of Croatia and Republic of Slovenia for resolving the SFRY state crisis)?
FOR ---- AGAINST
2. Do you support that Republic of Croatia stays in Yugoslavia as a unique sovereign state (per suggestion of Republic of Serbia and Socialist Republic of Montenegro for resolving the SFRY state crisis)?
FOR ---- AGAINST
Since the local Serb population in Krajina initiated the Log Revolution about a year earlier - and wanted to remain in Yugoslavia - most Serbs in Croatia (about 12-14% of population) boycotted the referendum. They held their own referendum in those areas a week earlier (May 12) on which they elected to remain in Yugoslavia (Croatians living there were denied the right to vote), which the Croatian government did not recognize as valid.
The wording of the first - pro-independence - option ("...guarantees cultural autonomy and all civil rights to Serbs...") was therefore deliberately used to state the governments wish for a peaceful solution to the crisis.[citation needed] In addition, the option left open the ability for further political alliances with other countries, because Sloven and Croatian leaderships advocated a looser, confederate SFRY (as opposed to Federal Yugoslavia advocated by Serbia), before the war.
Despite the Serb boycott, the turnout to the referendum was almost 80%, of which 93.24% voted for option 1 - independence.
Hence, Croatia declared independence on June 26, 1991, the same day as Slovenia - although both countries agreed to postpone the declaration for three months to calm tensions. This didn't help and the Slovenian Ten Day War begun in July and Croatian War of Independence begun in September.
On October 8, Croatia finally declared independence. The new country was internationally recognized in January, 1992 and officially admitted to the United Nations in May of that year.
[edit] References
- Balkan timeline - 1991
- Green Left: Australian news - Students mobilise to defend Croatia
- Croatian War
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