Svetozar Marović
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| Term of Office: | March 7, 2003 – June 3, 2006 |
| Predecessor: | Vojislav Koštunica |
| Date of Birth: | March 31, 1955 |
| Place of Birth: | Kotor, People's Republic of Montenegro; Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia |
| Profession: | Lawyer |
| Political Party: | DPS |
Svetozar Marović (Светозар Маровић; born March 31, 1955 in Kotor) is a lawyer and a politician. He was the final President of Serbia and Montenegro, his term officially expiring on June 3, 2006 when Montenegro declared its independence.
Marovic was born in Kotor only because it was the closest town along Montenegrin coast with a maternity ward; he considers Budva as his hometown. He grew up there, and ever since his career in high politics took off, his extended family is one of the most affluent in Budva.
He received his degree at Titograd's (now Podgorica) Faculty of Law.
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[edit] Ongoing role in Montenegrin politics
In 1990, he became a member of Montenegro's parliament, and later served as its speaker for three terms.
He is a co-founder and current vice-president of the ruling Montenegrin party Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro which inherited the Communist party of Montenegro. Throughout his decade and a half in high politics he's been a loyal supporter of Milo Đukanović in all of his policies.
In 2001, former Montenegrin president Momir Bulatović released a tell-all memoir named Pravila ćutanja (The Rules of Keeping Silent), accusing Marović, among many others, of accepting large financial compensation in return for turning a blind eye to wide-spread oil and tobacco smuggling in Montenegro during 1990s. Marović and Bulatović are former longtime party colleagues. In addition to former close friendship they also share an even more intimate bond through the godfather relations between their families.
Despite living in close proximity, as well as sharing many personal and political connections, but perhaps not surprisingly, the two have not spoken to each other in almost a decade.
In the book, Bulatović describes a private conversation during the 1990s in which he confronted Marovic about the corruption and quotes his answer: "You see, Momir, you're the first ever President of Montenegro - that's the legacy you're passing on to your children. Me, I want something more concrete to leave my kids with."
Marović never responded directly to these claims, mentioning only that he hasn't read the book and punningly adding that he was taught some other rules - "like the rule of keeping silent about untruth and slander".[1]
[edit] 2006 Montenegrin independence vote
Marović's political party, the DPS, has backed full independence for Montenegro, and Marović campaigned for a "yes" vote in the 2006 referendum on Montenegrin independence. This put him in the odd position of supporting the breakup of the state of which he is the head. In the wake of the referendum passing, Marović said that on June 1, 2006, he would "hold the last session of the Council of Ministers and resign...from the post of the president of the state union [2]".
[edit] Serbia-Montenegro Presidential term 2003-2006
As the head of Serbia and Montenegro's loose state union, the personal position Marović found himself in is very bizarre and even a bit absurd. Namely, he is the president of the country whose very existence is something that the party of which he's a vice-president (DPS) strives to end. Seeing as how DPS is the leading force in Montenegrin separatist movement and his party president Milo Đukanović a public face of the part of Montenegro pushing to end the union, it is very hard to imagine how Marović reconciles those views with his duties of furthering union's interests in the role of its President.
Started on March 7, 2003, Marović's term in office as President of Serbia-Montenegro was marked by his apologies to Croatian and Bosnian citizens as well as his involvement in the military equipment scandal that erupted in September 2005.
[edit] Apologies
On September 10, 2003, during Croatian president Stjepan Mesić's state visit to Belgrade, Marović delivered a public apology for "all evils done by any citizen of Montenegro and Serbia to anyone in Croatia."[3] Mesić immediately followed suit, delivering a general counter-apology to "anyone whom citizens of Croatia caused any pain or damage, anytime, anyplace." [4]
This was particularly significant as far as Marović is concerned because it was in stark contrast to his views from the beginning of 1990s when he was the author of an infamous phrase: "war for peace," which is how he described and justified the Montenegrin reservists' assault on Dubrovnik and Konavle in 1991.
November 13, 2003, he visited Sarajevo and issued another apology, this time to citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina on behalf of citizens of Serbia-Montenegro, for "any evil or calamity that anyone in Bosnia-Herzegovina suffered at the hands of anyone from Serbia-Montenegro".[5] Unlike Stipe Mesić few months prior, Marović's Sarajevo hosts, members of Bosnia's 3-man rotating Presidency weren't moved to reciprocate with any kind of an apology.
[edit] Military equipment scandal
On September 1, 2005, Serbian Minister of Finance Mlađan Dinkić called a press conference to publicly show a military contract signed by Svetozar Marović. It was a 5-year arrangement between Serbia-Montenegro's Council of Ministers and Mile Dragić Company of Zrenjanin, stipulating terms of equipment supply to the Army of Serbia-Montenegro (VSCG) for the period between 2006 and 2011. Dinkić revealed: "Among other things, 69,000 helmets were ordered as well as more than 60,000 body armour suits for an Army that numbers 28,000 people!? Also 500 fighter pilot jackets for a fleet of barely 30 planes!"[6]
While the brunt of the responsibility was leveled at Minister of Defense Prvoslav Davinić, Marovic was called out for signing and thus legitimizing such an obviously inflated contract that would end up costing the taxpayers of Serbia €296 million.
After budget commission confirmed Dinkić's allegations he went further on September 15, 2005, saying "it's completely clear Marović and Davinić were fully in the know about everything that went on" and also implicated several more defense ministry and army officials.[7]
Davinić eventually resigned, the damaging contract was revoked, but Marović fought back in a written release accusing Dinkić of "libel and destroying state union's institutions". The statement continued: "As state union's president I'm responsible for everything. They should not blame anybody, they should not sue anybody, and they should not judge anybody - but me. Because of that, they should submit everything they have against me. But neither to their party investigators, nor to domestic courts they're squeezing with their temporary ministerial careers. Let them submit everything they have and more to the best, most experienced, most competent, highest paid and best regarded European and world investigators and courts and they will get an answer - that Svetozar Marović is a clean and honest man."
Over the next few days, members of Marović's cabinet, Montenegrin regime officials, as well as PM Milo Đukanović himself were all threatening with pulling all Montenegrin staff from Belgrade.[8][9]
When the dust somewhat settled, Dinkić announced that "budget inspection met many obstructions within Ministry of Defense during the investigation" but that it's determined "to close the issue and put on trial those who are responsible". Whether those include Davinić and Marović, Dinkić was less clear but agreed that "prosecutor's office should go as high up the chain of command as necessary".[10]
[edit] Personal
Svetozar Marović is married to Đina Prelević. They have two grown children - son Miloš and daughter Milena.
Marović's son Miloš, a retired professional volleyball player with OK Budvanska Rivijera and current president of the same club, was in the news for his involvement in a scuffle that erupted during the New Year 2006 celebrations in Budva's Trocadero nightclub during a performance by Croatian superstar Severina. Certain media reports suggested the fracas started because Marović Jr. wanted Severina to come over to his table and sing for him and his friends. He reportedly passed the request by sending one of his bodyguards to her dressing room, but when he couldn't make it past Severina's personal security - a fight ensued.
Whatever it was that actually triggered the fisticuffs, the incident only further contributed to his reputation as a free-spending playboy living the high life on the back of his father's money and influence.[11]
[edit] External link
- The President of Serbia and Montenegro (note: page has not been updated since the end of Serbia and Montenegro)
| Preceded by: Vojislav Koštunica President of Yugoslavia |
President of Serbia and Montenegro 2003–2006 |
Succeeded by: Obsolete position replaced by: Boris Tadić President of Serbia Filip Vujanović President of Montenegro |
