1997 Eastern Slavonia integrity referendum

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1997 Eastern Slavonia integrity referendum
Flag of the Republic of Eastern Slavonia - Baranja - and Western Syrmia.svg
6 April 1997

Do you want Eastern Slavonia to remain a single unit?
United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium.png
Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia
Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes check.svgY Yes76,84599.01%
X mark.svgN No & Invalid7680.99%
Valid votes77,613100.00%
Invalid or blank votes00.00%
Total votes77,613100.00%
Registered voters/turnout100,27577.4%
Source: [1]

1997 Eastern Slavonia integrity referendum was held on 6 April in short-lived Serb parallel entity of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia which at the time was already governed by the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) as an UN governed territory. [1] Voters were asked whether they supported the proposal for the region of Eastern Slavonia to remain a single territorial oblast within Croatia after the end of UNTAES mandate instead of division into Vukovar-Syrmia and Osijek-Baranja County. [1] [2] Reportedly 99.01% or 99.5% of voters voted for the integrity of the region within Croatia. [3] [1] 77,40% out of 100.275 registered voters participated in the referendum. [1]

The Government of Croatia as well as the United Nations declared the referendum to be illegitimate. [4] Referendum was organized by the parallel Serb bodies in the region ahead of the 1997 Croatian local elections with Spokesperson for the United States Department of State R. Nicholas Burns encouraging all citizens of Croatia, Croats and Serbs, to participate in Croatian local elections. [4] Despite the referendum outcome Serbs in the region nonetheless participated in Croatian local elections and a new moderate Serb political party Independent Democratic Serb Party won majority of their votes. [5]

From the beginning the referendum initiative was perceived as an internal political struggle between the moderates (at the time led by Vojislav Stanimirović) and hawkish (led by Goran Hadžić) group among the local Serb political leadership. [6] While hawkish proposal gained overwhelming electorate support, contrary to the war years moderates managed to prevail due to international support for the moderate course, and additional change of position towards moderates both by parties which will form the Democratic Opposition of Serbia and Slobodan Milošević regime. [6]

Following the referendum, Vojislav Stanimirović met with the President of Croatia Franjo Tuđman where he stated his belief that "the best option would be a Serb county, but if neither Croatia nor the international community is willing to accept it then the formation of the council of Serb municipalities as planned in Erdut Agreement is the second-best option". [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacebuilding transitional administration in the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia in the eastern parts of Croatia. The transitional administration lasted between 1996 and 1998. The transitional administration was formally established by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1037 of January 15, 1996. The transitional administration was envisaged and invited in the November 1995 Erdut Agreement between the Croatian Government and the representatives of the local Serb community in the region. At the time of UNTAES deployment the region already hosted another traditional type UN peacekeeping mission known as the UNCRO. While the region was covered under the UNCRO's sector east, the whole UNCRO mission was brought into question by the Operation Storm escalation of hostilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vukovar-Srijem County</span> County in eastern Croatia

Vukovar-Srijem County, Vukovar-Sirmium County or Vukovar-Syrmia County, named after the eponymous town of Vukovar and the region of Syrmia, is the easternmost Croatian county. It includes the eastern parts of the region of Slavonia and the western parts of the region of Syrmia, as well as the lower Sava river basin, Posavina and Danube river basin Podunavlje. Due to the overlapping definitions of geographic regions, division on Slavonia and Syrmia approximately divides the county vertically into north-west and south-east half, while division on Posavina and Podunavlje divides it horizontally on north-east and south-west half.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borovo, Croatia</span> Municipality in Podunavlje, Croatia

Borovo, also known as Borovo Selo, is a village and a municipality in Vukovar-Syrmia County in eastern part of Croatia. Situated on the banks of the Danube river, it shares its border with Serbia and the municipality of Bač on the opposite side. The historical development of Borovo is intricately linked with the Danube, which has played a pivotal role in its development as a notable industrial hub in the region.

Elections for the Second Assembly of the Chamber of Counties of the Croatian Parliament were held in Croatia on 13 April 1997. The result was a victory for the Croatian Democratic Union, which won 40 of the 63 elected seats. This was the last election for the Chamber of Counties, which was abolished through a constitutional amendment on 29 March 2001. UNTAES facilitated the conduct of elections in the United Nations protectorate region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAO Krajina</span> Self-proclaimed oblast (1990–1991)

The Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina or SAO Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb Autonomous Region (oblast) within modern-day Croatia. The territory consisted of majority-Serbian municipalities of the Republic of Croatia that declared autonomy in October 1990. It was formed as the SAO Kninska Krajina, but, upon inclusion of additional Serb-populated areas, changed its name simply to SAO Krajina. In 1991 the SAO Krajina declared itself the Republic of Serbian Krajina, and subsequently included the other two Serbian SAOs in Croatia, the SAO Western Slavonia and the SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia</span> 1991–1992 self-proclaimed Serb oblast in eastern Croatia

The Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was a self-proclaimed Serbian Autonomous Oblast (SAO) in eastern Croatia, established during the Yugoslav Wars. It was one of three SAOs proclaimed on the territory of Croatia. The oblast included parts of the geographical regions of Slavonia, Baranja, and Syrmia along the Croatian section of the Danube river Podunavlje region.

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Erdut is a village and a municipality in eastern Croatia some 37 km east of the major city of Osijek. Lying on the border with neighbouring Serbia, it was the site of the signing of the 1995 Erdut Agreement, which initiated the UNTAES transitional administration over the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1995–1998)</span> Short-lived Serb parallel entity in the territory of Croatia

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia, commonly abbreviated as Eastern Slavonia, was a short-lived Serb parallel entity in the territory of Croatia along the Danube river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1037</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 1996

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1079</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 1996

United Nations Security Council resolution 1079, adopted unanimously on 15 November 1996, after recalling previous resolutions on Croatia including 1023 (1995), 1025 (1995), 1037 (1996), 1043 (1996) and 1069 (1996), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Transitional Authority for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) until 15 July 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1120</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 1997

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United Nations Security Council resolution 1145, adopted unanimously on 19 December 1997, after noting the termination of the mandate of the United Nations Transitional Authority for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium on 15 January 1998 in accordance with Resolution 1120 (1997), the Council authorised a support group of 180 civilian police monitors, known as the United Nations Civilian Police Support Group (UNPSG), to observe the situation in eastern Croatia for an additional nine months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erdut Agreement</span> 1995 treaty ending the Croatian War of Independence

The Erdut Agreement, officially the Basic Agreement on the Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium, is an agreement reached on 12 November 1995 between the authorities of the Republic of Croatia and the local Serb authorities of the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia region on the peaceful resolution to the Croatian War of Independence in eastern Croatia. It effectively ended the ethno-nationalist conflict in the region and initiated the process of peaceful reintegration of the region to central government control. The reintegration was directly implemented by the United Nations. The agreement provided a set of guarantees on human and minority rights as well as on the refugee return. It was named after Erdut, the village in which it was signed by local Serb representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenja</span> Village

Tenja is a village in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located just southeast of Osijek. The population is 7,376.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Council of Municipalities</span>

The Joint Council of Municipalities in Croatia is an elected consultative sui generis body which constitutes a form of cultural self-government of Serbs in the eastern Croatian Podunavlje region. The body was established in the initial aftermath of the Croatian War of Independence as a part of the international community's efforts to peacefully settle the conflict in self-proclaimed Eastern Slavonia, Baranya and Western Syrmia. The establishment of the ZVO was one of the explicit provisions of the Erdut Agreement which called upon the United Nations to establish its UNTAES transitional administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vojislav Stanimirović (politician)</span> Croatian politician

Vojislav Stanimirović is a Croatian Serb politician as well as former founder and president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party. During his political career he held various functions both in Croatian and self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina institutions and political organizations. He was elected member of Croatian Parliament (Sabor) in 2011–2015 period, president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party 1997–2017, 2nd Chairmen of the transitional Serb Executive Council (Government) of the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia 1996–1997 and minister without portfolio in the last Cabinet of Milan Babić of the Government of the Republic of Serbian Krajina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serbs of Vukovar</span>

The Serbs of Vukovar are one of traditional communities living in the multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-confessional eastern Croatian town of Vukovar on the border with Serbia. The Serb community constitutes slightly over one third of the entire population of Vukovar according to 2011 Census. Other significant communities include the Croat majority, as well as Hungarians, Slovaks, Rusyns, Ukrainians and historically Yugoslavs, Germans, Jews, Vlachs and Turks.

The Serbian language is one of the officially recognized minority languages in Croatia. It is primarily used by the Serbs of Croatia. The Croatian Constitution, Croatian Constitutional law on national minorities rights, Law on Education in Language and Script of National Minorities and Law on Use of Languages and Scripts of National Minorities define the public co-official usage of Serbian in Croatia. Serbian and Croatian are two standardized varieties of the pluricentric Serbo-Croatian language. The majority of Serbs of Croatia use Ijekavian pronunciation of Proto-Slavic vowel jat except in the Podunavlje region in Vukovar-Syrmia and Osijek-Baranja Counties where local Serb population use Ekavian pronunciation. Post-World War II and Croatian War of Independence settlers in Podunavlje which have come from Bosnia, Dalmatia or Western Slavonia either use their original Ijekavian pronunciation, adopted Ekavian pronunciation or both of them depending on context. In 2011 Census majority of Serbs of Croatia declared Croatian standardized variety as their first language with Ijekavian pronunciation always being required standard form in Croatian. While Serbian variety recognizes both pronunciations as standard, Ekavian is the more common one as it is the dominant one in Serbia, with Ijekavian being dominant in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia.

Local elections were held in Croatia on 13 April 1997. This was first local elections in Croatia after the end of war and unification of the territory. In the area of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia the elections were conducted with the support and supervision of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium.

The Serbian Radical Party in the Republic of Serbian Krajina was the branch in Croatia of the Serbian Radical Party.

References

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  2. Oleh Zwadiuk (6 April 1997). "Today's Events; Sunday, April 6, 1997". CNN. Archived from the original on 8 March 2005. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  3. n.a. (2003). Imogen Bell (ed.). Central and South Eastern Europe 2004: 4th Edition. Europa Publications. p. 182. ISBN   1-85743-186-3.
  4. 1 2 Oleh Zwadiuk (9 April 1997). "Croatia: U.S. Urges Participation In Elections". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  5. "Human Rights Watch World Report 1998; CROATIA; Human Rights Developments". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  6. 1 2 Nina Caspersen (2010). Contested Nationalism: Serb Elite Rivalry in Croatia and Bosnia in the 1990s. Berghahn Books. p. 164. ISBN   978-1-84545-726-6.