Yugoslavia Splinters Further With Two Rebel Declarations

Yugoslavia splintered further Monday as Slovenia declared its sovereignty and the province of Kosovo declared its independence from the republic of Serbia.

The Parliament of Slovenia adopted the sovereignty declaration with an overwhelming majority of deputies from all political parties in the northwestern republic.

Slovenia was the first of Yugoslavia’s six republics to oust Communists from power in free elections in April.

The governing Slovenian parties, united in a coalition known as Demos, have expressed dissatisfaction with the republic’s position in the Yugoslav federation of six republics and two autonomous provinces.

Their declaration said the federal constitution and laws would be applicable in Slovenia only if they were not in conflict with the Slovene constitution and laws.

Parliament in the neighboring republic of Croatia, where Communists were ousted from power in May, is also preparing constitutional changes that would grant their republic full sovereignty.

Slovenia and Croatia, Yugoslavia’s two most prosperous republics, say the present federation must be transformed into a loose confederation or they will secede.

Earlier in the day, ethnic Albanian deputies in troubled Kosovo province declared their independence from Serbia.