Jandroković: The 1991 Referendum is a Monument to the Strength of the Democratic Will of the Croatian People

35 years ago, a historic referendum on Croatian independence was held in Croatia, in which its citizens decided on the future of the country.

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the referendum on Croatian independence, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said that May 19, 1991, is one of the key dates in Croatian history, and the referendum held on that day is a monument to the strength of the democratic will of the Croatian people.

“We remember that spring of 1991 and the deep crisis in the former state caused by Slobodan Milošević's Greater Serbia policy and the last attempts of the communist government structures to survive,” said Jandroković.

He recalled that in those circumstances, Croatian citizens decided to take responsibility for their own future and clearly expressed their opposition to remaining in Yugoslavia, emphasizing that May 19, 1991, is undoubtedly one of the key dates in contemporary Croatian history. The referendum held that day is a monument to the strength of the democratic will of the Croatian people, he said.

“More than 93 percent of all those who participated in the referendum declared themselves in favor of an independent and sovereign Croatian state. The will of our people, then so unequivocally expressed through democratic means, became the foundation of future Croatian independence and freedom,” emphasized the Parliament Speaker, recalling the first democratic multi-party elections in 1990 and the adoption of the first Croatian Constitution in December of the same year.

“The results of the referendum paved the way for new landmark political decisions and changes - on June 25, 1991, the Croatian Parliament adopted a constitutional decision on the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Croatia, followed by the decision to terminate state and legal ties with other republics and provinces of the SFRY on October 8, 1991,” he added.

“We remember with special respect and gratitude the first Croatian President, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, and the then state leadership, because in those crucial circumstances they knew how to decisively lead Croatia on the path of democracy, freedom and independence,” said Jandroković.

The Parliament Speaker also thanked all those who participated in the defense of our homeland, as well as all those who gave the most valuable thing for the freedom and independence of Croatia in the Homeland War - their lives.

“The willingness of the Croatian defenders to make the greatest sacrifices and the final victory in the Homeland War are at the core of our freedom and independence, the foundation for all our previous and future achievements,” he said.

“In times of increasingly complex global circumstances, it is important to speak clearly and responsibly about the crucial moments of our path towards freedom and independence,” said Jandroković, saying that "a people who cherish the memory of the key moments of their own statehood and who understand the price of their own freedom will know how to preserve their security, democracy and their own identity.”

“We should not view this and other formative dates for the Croatian state only as part of history, but also as permanent reminders of the values on which the modern Croatian state was founded. The values that we must know how to preserve - freedom, peace and democracy. Likewise, they should also be a call for more togetherness and responsibility towards our future,” he concluded.

35 years ago, a referendum was held on Croatian independence

The referendum was held a year after the first multi-party and democratic elections and the constitution of the first modern Croatian Parliament. The referendum of May 19, 1991 paved the way for parliamentary decisions on independence and sovereignty in June and October of that year.

The decision to call the referendum in April was made by the first Croatian President, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, during the negotiations on a solution to the crisis between the republics of the then SFRY and at a time when Croatia was already facing an open rebellion by a part of the local Serbs.

In the referendum, citizens were offered two questions to which they could answer with 'for' and 'against', and they voted on blue and red ballot papers.

3.6 million voters had the right to decide.

The question on the blue paper was: Are you in favor of Croatia, as a sovereign and independent state, which guarantees cultural autonomy and all civil rights to Serbs and members of other nationalities in Croatia, being able to join an alliance of sovereign states with other republics.

3,051,881 or 83.6 percent of voters expressed their opinion on this issue, more than 2.8 million or 93.24 percent of those who went to the referendum voted for it, while around 127,000 (4.15 percent) voted against it.

On the red ticket, the question was: Are you in favor of Croatia remaining in Yugoslavia as a single federal state? Out of 3,051,881 voters (83.6 percent), the vast majority of them, more than 2.8 million (92.2 percent) were 'against', and only 164,000 (5.38 percent) were 'for'.

Based on the direct will of the citizens in a referendum, and after the failure of further negotiations with other former Yugoslav republics on how to overcome the state-political crisis, the Croatian Parliament adopted the Constitutional Decision on the Sovereignty and Independence of the Republic of Croatia on 25 June 1991.

The outcome of the referendum was the starting point for the adoption of the Decision on the Termination of the State-Legal Union with the Other Republics and Provinces of the SFRY, which the Croatian Parliament adopted on October 8 of the same year, thus formally and legally making the Republic of Croatia an independent and sovereign state, the Croatian Parliament recalled.

Source: HRT