Ceremonial session of the Ilidža Municipal Council on the occasion of March 1st

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - On the occasion of March 1st – Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a ceremonial session of the Ilidža Municipal Council was held on February 28, 2020, in the Multifunctional Hall. The commemoration began with laying flowers in front of the memorial monuments in Veliki park, the "Memorial Ossuary" and the central memorial monument, where tribute was paid to the martyrs, fallen soldiers, and
civilian victims of the war. 

On March 1, 1992, the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina opted for an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the referendum question of whether you are in favor of Bosnia and Herzegovina being an independent state of all its citizens and equal peoples, 64 percent of citizens answered affirmatively. It was a democratic and legal act, by which, after centuries of foreign rule, Bosnia and Herzegovina dignifiedly restored its independence.

The session was opened by the President of the Ilidža Municipal Council, Muhamed Omerović, who emphasized that BiH is whole and will remain so, and that the best sons who gave their lives for the country must not be forgotten.

"We are obliged to remember and express respect for the wisdom and determination shown by all citizens, voters who said they wanted independence and equality. We are obliged to continue where they left off. Let us always remember those who gave their lives for our homeland, and they deserve that we are here today," added Omerović.

The Mayor of Ilidža Municipality, Prof. Dr. Senaid Memić, congratulated all citizens on Independence Day and reminded them of the significance of the 1992 independence referendum, when Bosnians and Herzegovinians declared that they wanted a state of equal peoples.

"This day is linked to the organization and implementation of the historic referendum for the independence and state-legal subjectivity of BiH, in which citizens decided that its place is in the community of equal states," reminded Memić.

According to him, we are witnessing attempts to dispute the independence of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina even today.

"Besides the enemies who want to dispute independence and integrity, we are also the ones who must change. We must respect our authorities, respect expertise, invest in education, make it easier for businessmen to invest, build, help each other, because therein lies the prosperity and preservation of our country," added Mayor Memić.

He reiterated the famous sentence of American President Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country," and called for unity in the defense and preservation of the independence of BiH. Students from the Public Institution "Ilidža Music School" and "Ninth Elementary School" participated in the program.