The political changes in Eastern Europe quickly crossed onto Croatian soil where the Croatian people decisively declared themselves in favour of the democratic path to a market type economy and against a totalitarian, communist, one party regime. A free Croatia was among the aims that were to be accomplished in a democratic way so that in the future, the grave consequences of foreign rule could be avoided. There are more Croats living throughout the world than those remaining in Croatia. Some four million Croats and their offspring live on all parts of the planet Earth, making Croatian emigration very strong all over the world. Numerous political parties were founded in 1989 in Croatia. Nearly all of them were Croat oriented and in favour of a democratic structure within the country. In the May elections, the Croatian Democratic Union won with a platform based on the search for a modern and democratic state which best reflected the aspirations of the voters. In the referendum on the independence of Croatia, held on May 18, 1991, 94.14 percent of the citizens voted in favour of the independence of the Republic of Croatia. It was proclaimed a sovereign and independent state on June 25, 1991. The Croatian Sabor - the Parliament of the sovereign Republic of Croatia was established. Under the new Constitution passed by the Sabor, a democratic system was proclaimed which guaranteed equality for all citizens regardless of their ethnic, religious or other differences.