Yesterday, the streets of Sarajevo were decorated with hundreds of flags of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on the occasion of March 1st, the Independence Day of this European country.
A large state flag, which is now dominating the central city street of Marshal Tito, has been placed on the building above the anti-fascist monument “Eternal Flame” in the capital of BiH.
Also, the atmosphere is festive in Ferhadija Street, the main promenade in the city center, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Today’s holiday is celebrated on the occasion of the successfully conducted referendum on the independence of BiH, held on February 29th and March 1st, 1992. At that time, 2.073.568 people voted (turnout was 63.7 percent of citizens with the right to vote in BiH). As many as 99.7 percent of those who went to the referendum voted for independence.
The referendum question was: “Are you in favor of a sovereign and independent BiH, a state of equal citizens, the people of BiH – Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, and members of other peoples living in it”?
After the independence vote, BiH was acknowledged by many countries all around the world and the country soon became an equal member of the United Nations (UN), as well as many other international organizations.