Slovenia Says It Won’t Budge on Plan for Independence : Yugoslavia: In a last- minute appeal, federal official warns of civil war and economic ruin.

Hurtling toward a Wednesday date with independence despite Western opposition, Slovenian leaders declared Monday “there is no way back” from secession and acknowledged that their action will mean the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

Federal Prime Minister Ante Markovic made a last-minute appeal for unity, warning that civil war and economic ruin could be the costs of independence for Slovenia and Croatia.

“We would find ourselves sitting on a bomb which could explode and destroy us all,” Markovic told the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb. “In this kind of situation, civil war is a very real possibility.”

Neither Western threats of political isolation nor Markovic’s dire predictions appeared to give leaders of the rebellious republics pause to reconsider pulling out of the federation that has endured a tumultuous 73 years.

On the contrary, Slovenian military leaders indicated that they will immediately recall all their recruits from the federal army after the Slovenia Parliament adopts its declaration of sovereignty on Wednesday.

That action is likely to be viewed in Belgrade, the federal and Serbian capital, as a provocative appeal for mass desertions by the 4,000 Slovenian recruits now serving with the federal army.

The head of Slovenia’s territorial armed forces, Col. Janez Slapar, told reporters at a training base just south of Ljubljana that his command will assume responsibility for any reprisals by the federal high command in Belgrade.

Markovic has repeatedly warned that any unilateral change of Yugoslavia’s borders would be considered illegal and could force his government to call in the army.

But because the Yugoslav People’s Army is made up of troops from the different republics, many fear the rank and file would break down along ethnic lines if ordered to intervene in such an internal, political dispute.

Slovenian officials, unprepared to repel a major attack, appear to be counting on federal acquiescence to their independence.

“Markovic cannot legally do anything other than use physical force. Europe opposes the use of force,” said France Bucar, president of Slovenia’s Parliament. “He has certain economic measures at his disposal, but he cannot make the situation any worse than it is.”

Western governments have said clearly that they will not recognize Slovenian or Croatian independence. But they have also appealed to Yugoslav republics to settle their differences peacefully.

Slovenian Prime Minister Lojze Peterle insisted that the retreat from Yugoslavia will be orderly.

“We are fully aware of the fact that some elements of our sovereignty could not be arranged overnight,” Peterle said.

Peterle said his government will assume all federal powers in Slovenia after Wednesday and that Slovenian delegates to the federal Parliament in Belgrade will be recalled. Only a 12-member team will stay in the federal capital to negotiate remaining issues of Slovenia’s separation, he said.

Slovenian citizens will continue to carry Yugoslav passports for a while and to use the Yugoslav dinar because the republic lacks the hard currency to underwrite its own monetary system.

However, Peterle noted, a separate Slovenian currency could be issued immediately if the Yugoslav economy suddenly nose-dives.

While denying that Wednesday’s declaration of independence would be illegal, Peterle conceded it would mean the end of Yugoslavia as the world has known it.

“Yugoslavia was created by political agreement. . . . Just one part of Yugoslavia leaving cancels the validity of that agreement,” he said.

Slovenes are committed to independence because “we see no sense in staying in a country that is disintegrating,” Peterle said.

Secession is recognized as a right of the three Yugoslav nations--Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia--that originally formed the alliance of southern Slavs in 1918. Markovic insists that the three other republics--Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina--must approve of the breakup.

Serbia has no major objections to Slovenian independence, but it has threatened to use any means necessary to prevent Croatia from seceding because of the 600,000 Serbs living there.

Federal opposition to Slovenian independence is focused on the economic consequences likely in store once the most prosperous republic pulls out. Slovenia, a tiny Alpine region of 2 million, accounts for only 8% of Yugoslavia’s population but produces 30% of hard-currency exports and 25% of gross national product for the federation of 24 million.

“We, as a nation, have the right to self-determination,” Peterle said. “If we wanted to be separatists, if we wanted to take unilateral action without regard to others, we would have done so at least six months ago.”

Nearly 90% of Slovenia’s voters endorsed separation last Dec. 23.