33 YEARS SINCE REFERENDUM Reception on BiH Independence Day to be held on February 27 at City Hall

(Patria) - A formal reception on the occasion of March 1 - BiH Independence Day will be held on February 27 at the Sarajevo City Hall.

The hosts of the reception are members of the Presidency of BiH Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović.

Given that March 1 is a Saturday, and that the month of Ramadan also begins on that day, the reception is being held somewhat earlier this year.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated on March 1 every year, commemorating BiH's independence. Adult citizens of the then SRBiH voted on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a referendum held on February 29 and March 1, 1992.

The referendum question was:

- Are you for a sovereign and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state of equal citizens, peoples of BiH - Muslims, Serbs, Croats, and members of other nations living in it?

Independence was strongly supported mainly by Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats, while a larger number of Bosnian Serbs boycotted the referendum following the SDS's call for Serbs not to vote. It cannot be said that Serbs did not vote in this referendum.

A total of 2,073,568 voters turned out for the referendum, representing a turnout of 63.6%. Of that number, 99.7% voted for independence, and 0.3% against that decision.

The European Community recognized BiH as an independent and sovereign state on April 6, 1992.

On February 28, 1995, the Parliament passed a decision to celebrate March 1 as Bosnia and Herzegovina Independence Day.