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The adopted flag
by Jan Oskar Engene
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I am facsinated by a new flag change (obviously as any
vexiollologist would be. However the most intesrting point that
strikes me about this, is beyond the actual design itself, but
the need to change in the first place! The flag of B-H is already
a compromise design made up as a symbol itself that was
politically neutral, ie the symbol of King Tvrtko rather than the
far more politcally charged green and white crescent flag.
What I have found interesting is that this specifically design
neutral flag, should receive a politcal charging which now makes
it unacceptable. Does anybody know of any more such examples? The
only two I can think of might be the flag of the Irish Republic,
and the flag of Cyprus, although is is possibly more to do with
the fact that it is predominatly flown alongside the Greek flag
today.
John Hall, 17 December 1997
The CoA used by Kotromanic dinasty was supposed to be just
such a neutral symbol, but in last several years it was adopted
entirely by Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), and is now representing
only one of the three nations. I agree, it is a pitty (though the
flags as it is now is not much inventive).
Zeljko Heimer, 19 December 1997
From "The Economist"; September 6, 1997; p. 52):
"Sarajevo - At the end of May, when an array of
governments involved in Bosnia met in the Portuguese town of
Sintra, they drew up a modest list of tasks, along with
deadlines, that the Bosnians were to complete in order to sustain
the notion that they were bent on putting their country together
again, however loosely. Some of these tasks were merely symbolic,
and so, it was presumed, easy to carry out. A new design for a
flag, for instance, was supposed to have been agreed upon by
September 1st. But even that has been beyond the wit of assorted
Bosnian leaders.
Several other deadlines set at Sintra have been missed too.
Bosnia's various telephone systems were to have been linked up by
July 15th. Though you can now make a call from Sarajevo, the
all-Bosnia capital, directly to Banja Luka, headquarters of one
of the two competing parts of Bosnia's Serb entity, you cannot
ring Sarajevo direct from Banja Luka. The connection is supposed
to be fixed this month.
Nor has an all-Bosnia civil-aviation authority, due to have been
in action by the end of July, materialised. Joint laws on
citizenship and passports, due for approval by August 1st, are
still being argued over. The only agreement that has actually
been struck - after the Sintra deadline - is a dishing out of
ambassadorial posts.
The flag row is particularly silly. Bosnia's existing banner,
unfurled in April 1992 after the old Yugoslavia broke up,
consists of six golden fleur-de-lys with a white diagonal band
across them. Most Serbs and Croats, however, view the design as
"too Muslim." Yet the Serbs, especially, have refused
to come up with an alternative. Instead, Momcilo Krajisnik, the
Serb member of the Bosnian presidency, who still wants Bosnia's
Serb statelet to have virtually nothing to do with the rest of
Bosnia, wants the two entities (the Muslim-Croat federation and
the Serb portion) to have two separate flags fluttering side by
side; or a different design on either side of the same flag.
Mr. Kranjisnik has been equally stubborn over such matters as
common currency. He wants one of the proposed notes to depict an
Orthodox Serb monastery that is not in Bosnia at all. When Alija
Izetbegovic, the Muslim member of Bosnia's presidency, suggested
something as uncontroversial as flora and fauna, Mr. Kranjisnik
promptly demanded a Serb eagle. Deadlock again. Anyway, Mr.
Kranjisnik has for the past three weeks refused to turn up at
meetings of the presidency.
His Muslim and Croat colleagues have meanwhile been quietly
drawing up alternative flag designs. One sets the contours of a
Bosnian map on a light blue background. Another has three
horizontal stripes, red and white for Croat, blue for Serb, with
a green "Muslim" V jutting into the middle. But even is
some such design is eventually accepted, don't expect the flag to
fly. It took two and a half years for Bosnia's Muslims and Croats
to agree on a design, just for their bit of the country. Their
federal law says the flag may be flown - though not compulsorily
- from government buildings. You can occasionally spot it in
Muslim areas, but never in Croat ones."
Randy Young, 1 September 1998
It says : "His Muslim and Croat colleagues have meanwhile
been quietly drawing up alternative flag designs. One sets the
contours of a Bosnian map on a light blue background."
However, it wasn't Bosniac and Croat colleagues who were deciding
on this. It was Carlos Westendorp, as well as when he brought a
new flag.
It also says: "Another has three horizontal stripes, red and
white for Croat, blue for Serb, with a green "Muslim" V
jutting into the middle."
In my humble opinion , this is not true. I would have been
informed on this if it was proposed. It is unchecked information.
Velidaga Jerlagic, 3 September 1998
Is it RWB tricolour with green V in the middle stripe?
Actually, I don't remember it either.
Zeljko Heimer , 4 September 1998
It leads me to believe that the Parliament of BiH simply
cannot agree on anything. This is pure speculation, but for the
High Representative to have to produce a flag so devoid of
symbolism, I would guess that there are still fundamental
differences of opinion as to whether the Peace Accords will
actually produce one country.
For example, there are, as I understand it, colours associated
with each faction: red = Croat, blue = Serbian, green = Muslim.
If you wanted to make a statement with the flag, put white in the
design to symbolize peace and just use panels of those colours.
Steve Kramer, 5 February 1998
This association is not very firm. The colours associated are
the national colours of the nations red-white-blue = Croats,
green-yellow = bosniaks, red-blue-white = Serbs. Then, since only
red and white could be associated to Croats too, and only green
for Bosniaks, the remaining blue could be thought for Serbs. But,
if you choose only one of those colours (except green) there is
no firm association.
Zeljko Heimer, 7 February 1998
From what I understand, I think the problem is very similar to the one Vincent Morley pointed out when someone mentioned the poss