SERBIA FAILS TO GET BACKING ON FEDERATION

Serbia's quest to build a new Yugoslavia out of the ashes of the old federation has foundered after two key republics dismissed the plan as irrelevant. Government sources in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia say they will press on with their goal to follow Croatia and Slovenia to independence.

The 8.5 million Serbs inside and outside Serbia have battled to preserve the Yugoslav state. But Serbia and its small ally Montenegro now seem the only republics willing to seek a new Yugoslav association.

Bosnia is expected this week to name a date for an independence referendum, and the Macedonian parliament voted Wednesday to withdraw its members from the Yugoslav parliament.