This high level of mobilization around pacifist slogans and opposed to national divisions is explained by the widely shared understanding that if the republic was divided up into cantons "on Swiss lines", nearly half of all
Bosnian s would be in a minority in their future cantons.
Today, in the Balkans the possibility of finding oneself in a minority is a nightmare.
Ассогannexation of a part by Serbia.
The country would be governed through a bi-cameral government and parliament with one house elected by universal suffrage and the other being a house of national representatives. The government would control foreign relations, economic policy and the central bank. But, to be applied, all government decisions would have to be ratified by a four fifths majority in the House of Nationalities. The issues of the police and defence are to be discussed later.
Many mixed households
Many urban Bosnians originate from or form nationally mixed households and no type of cantonization can meet their desire to live in the towns and with the persons of their choice. If the Croat canton came into being, it would comprise 14 cantons of absolute Croat majority and take in 41% of Bosnian Croats. The rest of the Croat population, some 450,000 people, would live outside this canton.
The Serbs meanwhile are in a (relative or absolute) majority in 30 communes, representing some 700,000 people, that is. 50% of the Serb population. The other half, another 700,000, would live outside the Serb canton.
The Muslims, the majority in this republic, are also the majority in 52 communes, comprising 1,600,000 persons.
Despite their relative concentration, some 340,000 Muslims, 18% of this nationality, would be spread around outside their canton. *
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