About 70 per cent of Bosnian Serbs want independence

About 70 per cent of Bosnian Serbs want independence - pollster
BBC Worldwide Monitoring - November 4, 2004, Thursday

Text of report in English by Bosnian news agency Onasa web site

Sarajevo, 4 November: Member of the constitutional changes task force to the BiH Bosnia-Hercegovina Security Studies Centre Ante Domazet on Thursday 4 November presented the results of a poll on the possible future model of state organization in BiH.

The poll results show that, of the 1,600 polled persons, 37 per cent want BiH as a simple state, without the entities or cantons, organized as a republic with municipalities. A total of 46.6 per cent of the polled persons chose this model in BiH Federation, and only 19.7 per cent in Republika Srpska Bosnian Serb Republic, RS .

A total of 56.3 per cent Bosniaks Bosnian Muslims , 16.9 per cent Serbs and 16.3 per cent Croats chose the republic-municipality model.

The second model, state-region-municipality, was picked by 8 per cent of the polled persons on the state level, 10.8 per cent in FBiH Bosnia-Hercegovina Federation and 4.9 per cent in RS.

The third model, state-canton-municipality (without the entities), is preferred by 6 per cent on the state level, 6.2 per cent in FBiH and 4.4 per cent in RS.

The fourth, and final model, confederation or federation of three republics or entities, was the choice for 6 per cent on the state level, 7 per cent in FBiH and 5 per cent in RS.

According to Domazet, the poll results show that Bosniaks prefer the first model, republic-municipality, while Croats, naturally, would choose the fourth model, confederation of three republics. Around 70 per cent of polled Serbs are not interested in any of the models, most likely desiring the independence of RS.

Regarding the reasons behind the choices, 49.3 per cent of the polled persons said it is the functioning of the state, 34.5 per cent based their decision on the equality of peoples. For 29.7 per cent of them human rights were the reason, while 21.2 per cent decided on rationality.

SOURCE: Onasa news agency web site, Sarajevo, in English 4 Nov 04