Croatia celebrates Independence Day

Today is Independence Day, a holiday marking October 8th, 1991 when Croatian parliament unanimously adopted a decision to sever all state legal ties between the Republic of Croatia and other republics and regions of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).

Parliament then declared that Croatia does not consider any body of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia legitimate or legal and that it does not consider any act to be legal by any body representing the former federation, which as such no longer exists.

The decision by parliament came a day after the three month moratorium on Croatia’s constitutional decision on independence and sovereignty ended, which parliament adopted on June 25th, 1991.

Namely, the decision going into effect was delayed for three months at the time on the basis of the Brijuni Declaration of July 7th, at the request of the European Community in order for attempts to be made to resolve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully.

On the same day that the moratorium on the Croatian decision on sovereignty expired, aircraft from the Yugoslav People’s Army bombed the historic centre of Zagreb and the Banske Dvore government building where the state leadership was located at the time lead by President Franjo Tuđman.

Because of these circumstances and possible new air attacks on Zagreb, the historic session of parliament on October 8th, 1991 was held in the basement of the INA building in Šubićeva Street 29, in Zagreb.

The decision in which parliament declared an end to the process of secession was read by Vladimir Šeks, thus confirming that Yugoslavia as a community of countries no longer existed: “As of October 8th, 1991, the Republic of Croatia severs all state legal bonds on the basis of which, together with other republics and regions, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formed,” said Šeks.

In the decision at the time, Croatian Parliament emphasized that the republic of Croatia does not recognize as valid a single act by any body that speaks in the name of the former federation SFRY.

In separate conclusions parliament noted that an armed aggression against the Republic of Croatia was carried out by the Republic of Serbia and the so called Yugoslav People Army and therefore the Republic of Croatia was forced to defend itself with all available means. The Yugoslav People’s Army was then proclaimed an aggressor and occupying army that must, without delay, leave Croatian territory that it has temporarily taken control of.

Parliament called upon all countries, especially members of the European Community and the United Nations to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Croatia. At that session of parliament 15 laws were also adopted that were needed to breathe life into the independent and sovereign Republic of Croatia.  

Independence Day has been marked in Croatia since 2001, when an initiative was entered by Member of Parliament Ivo Škrabalo. In 1990 Croatians removed the Communist government in Croatia at the first democratic elections in April and May. On December 22nd of that year, a new government headed by the Croatian Democratic Union adopted the first modern democratic constitution of the republic of Croatia – the Christmas Constitution. Next year, in April, President Franjo Tuđman adopted a decision to call a referendum on the state legal status of the Republic of Croatia.

On May 19th, 1991 a referendum was held at which a great majority of the Croatian population gave their opinion on a free, independent Republic of Croatia. The results of the referendum and the will of the people were recognized by all state bodies and thus in June 1991, parliament adopted the constitutional decision on sovereignty and independence for the Republic of Croatia.

Soon after that the aggression by Serbia against Croatia began. Then the Brijuni Declaration was signed by which the Yugoslav people’s Army was to pull out of all bases and Slovenia and Croatia must postpone the implementation of the secession process so that the crisis may be resolved peacefully.

A peaceful disassociation did not take place. After the moratorium expired on the secession process between the Republic of Croatia and the remaining republics and regions within the former state, on October 7th, 1991 aircraft from the Yugoslav People’s Army bombed the historic centre of the Croatian capital Zagreb, the parliament building and the Banske Dvore government building, where the state leadership was located at the time headed by President Franjo Tuđman.

Due to these circumstances and possible new air attacks on Zagreb, a session of Croatian parliament was held on October 8th, 1991 in a secret location. In the basement of the INA building in Zagreb’s Šubićeva Street, the decision to sever state legal bonds between the Republic of Croatia and other republics and regions of the former SFRY was adopted.

Source: HRT