While patriots were putting up posters, others in BiH were building barricades!

On this day, March 1, many participants of the referendum recall memories of the events at the time, as well as their own naivety, as they never suspected that after the decision of BiH citizens to want independence, a bloody struggle for the defense of BiH could follow, writes the Patria news agency.

In different cities, people had different approaches. Posters were being put up, euphoria was felt, but the other camp did not think that way.

Haris Fazlagić, a councilor of the Centar Sarajevo Municipal Council, shared with us his experiences from Mostar.

- On the evening of February 26 to 27, 1992, I had my first firefight with the so-called reservists, of whom there were more than 25,000 in Mostar at the time. Our sin was that on the Mostar boulevard we were putting up posters "for an independent" "for a whole" "sovereign" "indivisible" BiH. We were enemies of the PL BiH. Adis Peco and then-minor Feđa Husković were with me then, both gave their lives for the homeland, Adis in '92 and Feđa in '93, so that future generations could enjoy freedom. I can recite a Fatiha for them and promise that they will never be forgotten and that BiH is eternal - Fazlagić said.

The then SDS did everything to prevent citizens of Serbian nationality from participating in the referendum. SDS supporters fiercely opposed the referendum, and many of them were already well-armed. Roadblocks were set up to prevent the delivery of referendum materials. On the night before the referendum, disturbing news came from Travnik that Serbian extremists had set up barricades on Komar and killed two people. As reported by the media, the barricade consisted of "Serbian territorials, members of the JNA, and Chetniks."

Nevertheless, citizens of Serbian nationality who lived mainly in larger cities came out to vote. According to news reports, on the first day of the referendum, Serbs from Jajce went to vote in the settlements of Bare, Volijak, and Pijavica... It is stated that in Tuzla, citizens of all nationalities voted... The second day of the referendum began in a more relaxed atmosphere because news arrived that the barricades on Komar had been removed the night before.

Miro Lazović, one of the founders of the Forum of BiH Parliamentarians in 1990, at the time of the referendum a deputy in the Assembly of SRBiH, was among the Serbian representatives who supported the decision to hold the referendum. After that, he and his family were directly threatened. Nevertheless, Lazović, who remained in Sarajevo throughout the siege, believes that "March 1 will remain one of the brightest points in the history of BiH."

On that day, before the polling stations closed, Alija Izetbegović stated at a press conference: "I think we can say that we are not only a sovereign and independent state, but also an internationally recognized state."

But just a few hours after that statement, new images of the capital of BiH shocked the world. Namely, in the evening of March 1, at Baščaršija, near the Old Orthodox Church, Serbian wedding guest Nikola Gardović was killed. This was the reason for the then SDS to organize the erection of barricades at all major intersections in Sarajevo during the night.

The next day, Sarajevo woke up completely blocked. The SDS Crisis Headquarters issued a demand to stop all activities on the recognition of a sovereign and independent BiH.

However, BiH patriots quickly organized and responded to the barricades. A procession of people moved from Dobrinja towards the city center, in front of which masked extremists began to retreat from the barricades...

On March 6, 1992, the Republic Election Commission announced the results of the referendum.

"Based on Article 28, Point 6 of the Law on Referendum ("Official Gazette of SRBiH", No. 29/77 and 24/91), the Republic Election Commission, at its session held on March 6, 1992, determined the results of the Republic Referendum for determining the status of Bosnia and Herzegovina, held on February 29 and March 1, 1992, and publishes them:

Out of a total of 3,253,847 voters, 2,073,568 citizens with the right to vote, or 64.31 percent, turned out and voted in the Republic Referendum for determining the status of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to extracts from general voter lists 1,989,786 and based on certificates of registration in the general voter list 83,535 voters. There were 2,067,969 valid ballots, or 64.14 percent. Of the total number of valid ballots, 2,061,932 voters, or 99.44 percent, voted "FOR", while 6,037, or 0.29 percent, voted "AGAINST", and there were 5,227 invalid ballots, or 0.25 percent.

Thus, out of the total number (2,073,568) of citizens who voted in the Republic Referendum for determining the status of Bosnia and Herzegovina on February 29 and March 1, 1992, 2,061,932 citizens, or 99.44 percent, declared themselves for a sovereign and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state of equal citizens, peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Muslims, Serbs, Croats, and members of other peoples living in it ("Official Gazette of RBiH", No. 7; March 27, 1992)."