Fahrudin Radončić

Fahrudin Radončić (born 24 May 1957) is a Bosnian businessman and politician. He is owner of the Dnevni Avaz newspaper, president of the Union for a Better Future of BiH, and minister of security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Career

Radončić was raised in the town of Plav in Montenegro. In 1988, he was relieved from the position of executive secretary, because he characterized through print media that politics led by Slobodan Milošević were Nazi and criminal. He was also issued a summons and prosecuted. In 1989, he started to work as a journalist and an analyst for the Zagreb weekly magazine Danas. Circulation of the magazine was at nearly 300,000 and it focused on sovereignty of ex-Yugoslav republics, as well as focusing against politics of Milošević and Franjo Tuđman.

In 1990, Radončić wrote 10,000 days of slavery, a book focusing on the subject of a sovereign Kosovo.^[1] Publishing of this book has caused terrible anger of official Belgrade and Serbian and Montenegrin media.^[1] He was a friend of the late Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova, and enjoys a friendship with other Kosovo intellectuals and politicians. In the same year, he also wrote a series of texts arguing the statehood and a right to a sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the same series of texts he also argued for the same in case of Montenegro.

Business

Dnevni Avaz and other media ventures

In 1991 he established a publishing company named "Avaz".

From 1992 through 1993, while a member of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he felt the need for a printed journal in form of a cultural reaction and resistance to the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina. In October 1993, while stationed and living in besieged Sarajevo, he launched a weekly publication of a journal named Bošnjački avaz (English: Bosniak Voice). The first texts published in this magazine, dated 15 November 1993, he strongly opposed to the division of B&H and creating of a "Bosniak republic".^[1]

In 1995, through his publishing inc. company he launched the Dnevni avaz (Eng: Daily Voice). Its daily circulation is 50,000 and its website records in excess of 100,000 hits on a daily basis. In 1995, Radončić also launched several other papers, including: Political magazine "Global", magazine "Azra", weekly papers "Express", "Sport Avaz" and ten other print media publications. He is also the owner of TV "Alfa".^[1]

Construction business

In 2000, Radončić built one of the first office space buildings in post-war Sarajevo. The building is currently the headquarters building of the Hypo Alpe Adria Bank.

In 2004, Radončić built the first post-war modern architectural building, a five-star hotel called "Radon Plaza Hotel". The hotel has the first rotating restaurant in the region.^[2] In 2007, Radončić received an award from the municipal leadership of Canton of Sarajevo for the architectural significance and achievement in building the Radon Plaza Hotel.^[1]

In 2009, Radončić built a 40-floor Avaz Twist Tower office space building. Its architectural attributes include its 175-metre height and its modern architectural structure that has already become a popular tourist attraction in Sarajevo.^[1] Construction of such grandiose buildings has put Radončić among the most successful construction businessmen in post-war BH history.^[1]

Politics

Personal conviction and practice

Radončić always strongly opposed hegemonist politics of Belgrade and Zagreb in both his publications and public appearances. He was always strongly committed to full BH sovereignty and equal rights of three nations and all other citizens of this country. Also, he is the creator of the biggest media system in B&H after the war, and genuine protector and promoter of Bosnian national interests as a whole. In example, throughout his business practice he has always integrated all nationalities to form his media group. In fact, this principle lives close to his family.^{[citation needed]}

Radončić is also known as a man who put himself at the very head of defense on freedom of press in BiH, therefore he and his paper "Avaz", operating independently and market-oriented, were subject to a number of various pressures they stood out successfully.^{[citation needed]}

He is deemed as a pragmatic and a tolerant person who is committed to return economic policy importance back into the focus of all political subjects.^[1] He is known pro-western orientation and utter conviction that BH should take part in Euro-Atlantic integration.^[1]

In addition, Radončić is strongly committed to establishing better relations and cooperation across all areas in the region.^{[citation needed]}

Experience prior to official candidacy in politics

As a media magnate and a person with important influence on Bosnian politics, Radončić tangibly participated in numerous important summits dealing with vital interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This includes his participation as a political consultant to domestic and foreign politicians during the signing of Dayton Peace Accords, when he was a member of group of intellectuals providing crucial advise and consultation to the late Alija Izetbegović, first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[1] Furthermore, owning up to the position of a media magnate, Radončić often provided support to international representatives in promoting laws aimed at integrating various aspects of BH policies and institutions, i.e.: the law on unification of armed forces of BiH; the law on adoption of a single currency, etc.

By entering the political stage, officially announced on September 24, 2009^[3] Radončić announced the creation of his own political party, the Union for a Better Future of BiH. Radončić wants BiH to start a comprehensive battle against poverty through strong economic development and he believes that if current corruption, conflicts and destruction is continued, there is a real danger that poverty, lack of vision for a better future and absence of expected prosperity could cause tension between three nationalities resulting in internal conflict and even religious radicalism.

Legal problems and professional rivalries

In 2008, Radončić entered into a business partnership with Miroslav Mišković, a controversial businessman from Serbia with close ties to the regime of Slobodan Milošević. This promoted widespread criticism and condemnation in Bosnia due to Mišković's role in the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In recent years Radončić has led a media campaign against the Selimović family, who are the owners of the Sarajevska Pivara as well as other business ventures. Dnevni Avaz frequently publishes articles denouncing the Selimović family.

References

External links

• Dnevni Avaz
• Union for a Better Future of BH