Independence Day (Republic of Macedonia)

The Independence Day (Macedonian: Ден на независноста, Den na nezavisnosta) in the Republic of Macedonia is celebrated on 8 September. It has been a national holiday since 1991, when a Referendum for Independence took place. The Republic of Macedonia gained its independence from Yugoslavia, where it was a federal state, and became a sovereign parliamentary democracy.

On September 8, 1991, over 95.5% of the 75.8% turnout voters on the Referendum voted for the independence of the Republic Macedonia.

“

Dear citizens of Macedonia, allow me tonight to you and to all citizens of Macedonia to congratulate the free, sovereign and independent Macedonia!

”

- said the then- President of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov on the evening of September 8, addressing the citizens who spontaneously gathered at Macedonia Square in the capital Skopje, to celebrate the successful referendum.

The people's will for an independent state was confirmed with the Declaration of the referendum results on September 18, 1991 by the first multi-party Macedonian Parliament. Finally, on 25 September 1991 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Macedonian Parliament. Next, the new Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia was adopted on 17 November, 1991.

Due to Greek opposition to a new state containing the term 'Macedonia', the soveregn status of the state was not recognised until April 8, 1993 with an acclamation of the UN General Assembly, when Republic of Macedonia was admitted as 181st full-fledged member in the world organisation under the provisional reference Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.^[1]

References

1. ^ Turkish Weekly, 7 September 2005: Macedonia's Independence Day, September 8