Velimir Ilić
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Velimir "Velja" Ilić (born 1951) is the current Minister of Capital Investment in Serbian government, cabinet of Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica.
One of the most colourful figures in Serbian politics, Velja was born in Čačak on May 28, 1951. After graduating from University of Belgrade's Faculty of Technology (Department of Construction Materials), he worked for different construction firms, and then became a private enterpreneur in 1986.
In 2005 he got his masters degree from the University of Kragujevac. His masters degree was granted by an academic supervisory board entirely comprised of officials of his own New Serbia party.[citation needed] Criticism pointing to obvious conflict of interest and breach of academic standards was characterized by him and his supporters as malicious campaigning against him.[citation needed] The academics who granted his masters degree stated they have acted purely as academics in this case and not as party officials under the leadership of their student.[citation needed]
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[edit] Political career
Velja's first political steps were taken with Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) in 1990.
[edit] Mayor of Čačak
He was elected mayor of Čačak in 1996 by defeating the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) candidate. Shortly thereafter, in 1997, he left SPO, where he was the president of party's local branch, and founded his own New Serbia party.
During his tenure Čačak became a small haven of anti-Milošević struggle similar to few other cities where different opposition parties held municipal power. Ilić ran the city successfully, attracting legitimate investors and developing local economy. He was extremely vocal and direct in his criticism of Slobodan Milošević and his regime, so much so that he was forced into hiding during NATO air-strikes during Spring of 1999 fearing brutal reprisal at a time when regime often engaged in this practice of political opponent elimination under the shield of NATO bombs.
In 2000 Ilić's New Serbia joined the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition along with 17 other parties. Ilić had a large role in the 5th October overthrow as he organized and headed a long motorcade of cars, buses and trucks that left Čačak on the morning of October 5, 2000 and arrived in Belgrade after going through (often forcefully) numerous police road blocks and check points along the way. Ilić and his men then positioned themselves right in front of the Federal Assembly building, addressed the crowd, which was already gathered in hundreds of thousands, and eventually led the charge on Parliament.
In the immediate days and months after the successful overthrow, Ilić enjoyed wide praise and enormous popularity. So, many, including Ilić himself, were surprised and unhappy about him getting very little in the subsequent division of power among the DOS members. In comparison, many other leaders of small parties within DOS that had considerably lesser profile than NS and Ilić, like Vladan Batić, Dušan Mihajlović, Goran Svilanović, Nebojša Čović, Rasim Ljajić, Žarko Korać, Dragan Veselinov, József Kasza, Mile Isakov, etc., all received high posts. Ilic on the other hand only got to be MP in the federal Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro in addition to his mayoral duties in Čačak.
So, even though he started out as a prominent member of the ruling coalition, Ilić's role was effectively marginalized over the coming years. Since he didn't have a national platform through a high-ranking government position, he was seldom featured in the media for anything other than his frequent outburst or spats with reporters.
In late 2003 after dissolution of Serbia's parliament in anticipation of new elections, he reached out to his old friend Vuk Drašković (also a political non-factor at this point) and their parties entered a pre-election coalition. Surprising many, they managed to get 22 parliamentary seats, which they used to form a minority government with Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and G17 Plus party. Drašković became the Foreign Minister of Serbia-Montenegro, while Ilić got the position of Serbia's Minister for Capital Investment.
[edit] Velja's angry side
Ilic's angry public outbursts and frequent use of profanity are too numerous to all be mentioned. Some of the more notable include:
- On March 28, 2001, after accusation of being behind the incident at Čačak's Radio Ozon, when the windows on their station were shattered by unknown group of men, Velja answered: "We're not some small-time, two-bit Gypsies, here. Trust me, where we strike - grass doesn't grow there no more".
- At a press conference held in Čačak on August 6, 2001, Ilić called Večernje novosti journalist Milena Marković "a groupie and Belgrade junky". He then proceeded to label Novosti's editor-in-chief Manojlo Vukotić a "disgrace to Serbian journalism whose asking price is 100 Deutsch Marks in cash and a bottle of beer".
- During a Summer 2002 live phone-in on Studio B radio station Ilić was asked about road blocks that Serb refugees from Kosovo have supposedly set up in protest throughout different parts of the country. Being completely unaware of any protests he asks the host to clarify. Host explains that Nebojsa Čović, then Serbian government co-ordinator for Kosovo, said the refugees were organized by Ilić. Upon hearing this, Ilić's mood instantly darkens and he begins his tirade: "Listen to me now, Nebojsa Čović is a communist piece of garbage and a Belgrade scumbag and you're free to quote me on that anywhere you want. That sick bastard should go to sanatorium, somewhere, and I'll be happy to pay for his treatment". After somewhat settling down, Ilić informs the host that he's been at home recovering from bronchitis for days and that he has no idea about any protests, but soon fires up again, this time against the Studio B radio station itself: "all of you bastards at Studio B can suck my dick, and also make sure to take good care of yourselves because I'll come to that piece of shit station of yours and throw all you asses out the window". Finally, Ilić ends his outburst by blasting Studio B TV journalist Olja Bećković, calling her "a jerkoff" and adding "I'd let her suck my dick, but she's too ugly, so fuck it".
- On October 11, 2002, as part of their call-in show Naslovna strana TV Čačak ran a story by journalist Jelena Katanić alleging that recently slain mobster Sredoje Šljukić was a member of Ilic's New Serbia.
Ilić immediately called the station live and started insulting the journalist as well as the story editor. The very next day, accompanied by his personal security, he barged into the TV station's offices and shouted some more at journalists Jelena Katanić and Vesna Radović who happened to be present. Three days later, he held a press-conference saying the story violated the pre-election silence (second round runoff presidential elections contested between Vojislav Koštunica and Miroljub Labus were held on October 13) even if neither candidate was so much as mentioned in the story. Ilić also put forth his, by now usual insinuation that TV Čačak employees are all junkies and should seek treatment.
Velja getting angry with journalist Vladimir Ješić
- In June 2003, insenced by a question from Novi Sad's TV Apolo journalist Vladimir Ješić about alleged ties of Ilić's brother Strahinja with organized crime and the construction of a tobacco factory in Čačak, Ilić stood up, kicked the open binder Ješić held in his lap, shouted obscenities at him, and left the studio.
Since becoming Serbia's Minister of Capital Investent in March 2004, Ilić somewhat cleaned up his act, but he has still caused plenty of public image problems for the government he represents.
- For example, he stated that he'll "will chop off (Minister of Finance) Mlađan Dinkić's fingers." Dinkić's party, G17 Plus threatened to leave the government coalition if Ilić did not apologize.
- In August 2005, disatissfied with the question posed to him, he verbaly assaulted a B92 journalist calling her "mentally disturbed" and threatening to kill her and her editor. After a public scandal and an outcry in the media and the public, the government called an emergency session to discuss the issue. Velimir Ilić declined to comment or apologize citing he was the victim of a media smear campaign. Later that day a government statement expressing regret was issued and read by another minister, without an explicit apology or any reprecausion for Mr. Ilić.
[edit] Personal
He is married and the father of five children.
