Dragan Velić

Dragan Velić
Prefect of the Kosovo District
(2001–2004)
President of the Union of Serbian Districts and District Units of Kosovo and Metohija
Personal details
Born November 18, 1958
Sušica
Nationality Serbian
Occupation Politics

Dragan Velić (born November 18, 1958[1]) is a Kosovo Serb politician, currently serving as president of the Union of Serbian Districts and District Units of Kosovo and Metohija, which currently is in dispute with the Republic of Kosovo over the status of North Kosovo. Velić was the Prefect of the Kosovo District, of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, from December 6, 2001 to September 28, 2004.

Early years

Velić was born on November 18, 1958 in Sušica, in the municipality of Pristina, Yugoslavia. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Construction Department, in 1982 in Priština.[1] He completed his master's studies at the Faculty of Law.[1]

Career

He was the Technical Director and then Acting Director General of Binačka Morava Gnjilane from 1988 to 1991, and Secretary of Urban Planning and Construction of the City Assembly of Pristina from 1992–1997.[1] In December 1999, he was a Sofia workshop participant, representing the Serb National Council, at the Sofia Declaration.[2]

From December 6, 2001 to September 28, 2004, he was head of the Kosovo district; he was also chairman of the executive board of the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija (SNC)[3] from 2002 to 2006.[1] Velić was a 2003 Member of the European Centre for Minority Issues' Standing Technical Working Group.[4]

He has participated in numerous projects, and one of the most important is the project on decentralization in Kosovo.[1] Along with Randel Nojkic, Velic was sent as an observer in the Kosovo Transitional Council.[5] He is the president of the Union of Serbian Districts and District Units of Kosovo and Metohija of North Kosovo,[1] and the Coordinator of the Serbian Government Commission for Refugees, in charge of Kosovo.[6] The unions are not recognised by Kosovo authorities, or by UNMIK[7]

Personal life

He resides in Novi Badovac in the municipality of Priština and is married with three children.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Dragan Velić". Medijacentar.info. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Sofia Declaration Kosovo Serbs Call for Dialogue on Ethnic Violence and Governance in Kosovo". United States Institute of Peace. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "Defense of Bishop Artemije of Kosovo". theorthodoxchurch.info. February 20, 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Curis, Robert (July 2003). "ECMI KOSOVO/A: CITIZENS’ SUPPORT INITIATIVE KOSOVO/A STANDING TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP: THIRTEENTH MEETING INTEGRATION & RETURNS" (PDF). Schiffbruecke 12 (Kompagnietor Building) D-24939 Flensburg Germany: EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MINORITY ISSUES (ECMI). p. 16. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  5. ↑ Stodiek, Thorsten (1 January 2004). Internationale Polizei: ein empirisch fundiertes Konzept der zivilen Konfliktbearbeitung (in German). Nomos. ISBN 978-3-8329-0595-8. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  6. ↑ "Velic: Return of displaced persons to Kosovo almost died out". glassrbije.org. June 30, 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "Kosovo Serbs launch new assembly", BBC News, 28 June 2008, retrieved 18 April 2011