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SARAJEVO, October 21 (FENA) - Resolving the constitutional and legal status of Sandžak in Serbia and the Bosniak people is a prerequisite for a long-lasting solution to all the controversial issues that burden relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as the relations between the Bosniak and Serb people, said Sulejman Ugljanin, President of the Bosniak the National Council, the highest political and representative body of Bosniaks in Serbia as an introductory speaker at the session of the Association of Independent Intellectuals "Circle 99" on the topic "Regional stability and the role of national minorities".
Ugljanin said that the right to self-determination guarantees the Sandžak citizens to establish and develop cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which cannot be anything less than the special and parallel relations between Republika Srpska and Serbia.
"The solution to the status of Sandzak will ensure the right of Bosniaks to political existence, enable unhindered economic and social development and give equal opportunities to all the peoples living in Sandžak, in accordance with the good practices of European regions," Ugljanin emphasized, adding that Bosniaks are the autochthonous people in Sandžak and that they constitute a national minority in both, Serbia and Montenegro.
He reminded that in the elections scheduled for November 4, Bosniaks in Serbia will elect the Bosniak National Council, that is, the Bosniak National Assembly, under the same laws and procedures as in the elections for the President of Serbia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.
"These elections are of immense importance for Bosniaks because, after the break-up of our former joint state of Yugoslavia, Serbia still has not recognized the right to nationhood of the Bosniaks of Sandžak.
In a time when other nations built up their national armies and national states, Ugljanin added, the citizens of Sandžak, using the right to self-determination in a referendum held on October 25-27, 1991, voted in favor of the autonomy of Sandžak.
He further emphasizes that the Dayton Peace Accord halted the aggression of Serbia, Montenegro and partially Croatia on Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the Yugoslav crisis was not resolved.
"Resolving the status of Sandžak will ensure the right of Bosniaks to political existence, and enable unhindered economic and social development and give equal opportunities to all peoples living in Sandžak, in line with good practices in European regions," concluded Ugljanin.
(FENA) S. R.
