ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - Nine years ago, Croatia severed all constitutional ties on the basis of which, along with other republics, it had made up the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). This historic decision was adopted
on October 8 1991 by the Croatian Sabor (parliament), which concluded that the SFRY no longer existed and denied the legitimacy and lawfulness of any part of the then SFRY.
CROATIA MARKS 9TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS SEVERING TIES WITH FORMER SFRY
ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - Nine years ago, Croatia severed all
constitutional ties on the basis of which, along with other
republics, it had made up the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (SFRY).
This historic decision was adopted on October 8 1991 by the Croatian
Sabor (parliament), which concluded that the SFRY no longer existed
and denied the legitimacy and lawfulness of any part of the then
SFRY. #L#
Vukovar, Dubrovnik, Vinkovci, Osijek, Pakrac, Gospic, Sibenik,
Zadar and other Croatian towns came under relentless attack by the
former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serbian-Montenegrin units,
supported by a part of Croatian Serbs. One day before the historic
decision was made, on October 7, JNA planes attacked Banski Dvori,
the headquarters of the Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, who at
the time was in a meeting with the then Yugoslav premier Ante
Markovic and a member of the SFRY presidency, Stipe Mesic.
Croatian deputies, elected in the first democratic multiparty
election in the spring of 1990, made this historical decision in
line with the country's inalienable right to self-determination on
the basis of the citizens' will expressed at the 1991 referendum,
the Constitutional Decision on the Sovereignty and Independence of
the Republic of Croatia and the Declaration on the Establishment of
an Independent and Sovereign Republic of Croatia, adopted by the
Sabor on June 25 1991. Namely, a three-month deadline postponing
the implementation of the Constitutional Decision and Declaration
- set by the Brijuni decision under the patronage of the
international community - expired on October 7 1991 and the
aggression of the JNA and Serb paramilitary units on Croatia gained
force.
The Sabor adopted conclusions saying that Serbia and the JNA had
carried out an act of armed aggression against Croatia, the JNA was
declared an enemy army and requested to leave the occupied
territory. The Republic of Croatia, the conclusions read, is forced
to defend itself from the aggression with all means available.
The JNA was requested to allow Croatian citizens serving in the JNA
to leave the army and return to their homes.
The Sabor also urged Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro not to allow
the use of their state territory for attacks on Croatia. In line
with international regulations, Croatia obliged to fully comply
with those rights and obligations of the former SFRY referring to
the Republic of Croatia.
The Sabor called all countries of the world to recognise Croatia.
Not even after the expiry of the Brijuni agreement was the
international community ready to recognise Croatia. Nevertheless,
the country was recognised soon.
(hina) rml