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Bosnia and Herzegovina - The 1998 Flag Change - Overview

Last modified: 2003-07-05 by dov gutterman
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The adopted flag
by Jan Oskar Engene



See also:


See also:


Why Change the Flag?

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


"Flagging Progress"

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


Controversies Around the New Flag

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