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Branko Mikulić (10 June 1928 – 12 April 1994) was a Yugoslavian statesman. Mikulić was one of the leading communist politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the communist rule in the former Yugoslavia.


Biography

Branko Mikulić was born to a Herzegovinian Croat family in 1928 in the vicinity of
Gornji Vakuf Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje ( sr-cyrl, Горњи Вакуф-Ускопље) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Etymology Although settlements i ...
, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. His father was a prosperous farmer and a leading local member of the Croatian Peasant Party, who during World War II became a deputy on the State Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( ZAVNOBiH). Mikulić finished gymnasium in Bugojno and joined the Yugoslav Partisans in 1943. After the war he attended the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Economy.


Political activity

As a young and ambitious party leader, after studying in Zagreb he returned to his birthplace to become a full-time politician. He became a deputy for Bugojno, a deputy for the West Bosnian district, and in 1965 secretary of the Bosnian Communist party's central committee - before being elected its president a year later. Mikulić and his team proceeded to build a system of social and national equality on the ZAVNOBiH model, by way of full emancipation of the Bosniak nation and reintegration of the Bosnian Croats into the political system. Meanwhile, western Herzegovina enjoyed economic regeneration during the Mikulić's rule. While working within the communist system, politicians that included Branko Mikulić but also
Džemal Bijedić Džemal Bijedić ( cyrl, Џемал Биједић, ; 12 April 1917 – 18 January 1977) was a Bosnian and Yugoslav politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from 30 July 1971 until his death in a plane crash on 18 January 1977. ...
and Hamdija Pozderac reinforced and protected the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and were considered as the backbone of the political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina during much of the 1970s and '80s. Their efforts proved key during the turbulent period following Tito's death in 1980, and are today considered some of the early steps towards Bosnian independence.


President of the Federal Executive Council

Branko Mikulić was nominated by the Yugoslav presidency as successor to Milka Planinc in January 1986. In Ljubljana, Slovenian sociologist Tomaž Mastnak criticized Mikulić's nomination over the radio. The government subsequently laid charges against Mastnak. On 15 May 1986 Mikulić was appointed President of the Federal Executive Council of Yugoslavia. In March 1987, Mikulić was publicly rebuked for his economic policy by striking workers who refused to serve him while in Kranjska Gora for a ski-jump competition. After the outbreak of 70 strikes nationally in a two-week period (with strikes being illegal in Yugoslavia), Mikulić threatened to mobilize the army to restore order in May 1987. Mikulić's government devalued the
dinar The dinar () is the principal currency unit in several countries near the Mediterranean Sea, and its historical use is even more widespread. The modern dinar's historical antecedents are the gold dinar and the silver dirham, the main coin of ...
by 25% on 17 November 1987. Mikulić reached a Standby Agreement with the International Monetary Fund in 1988. SR Croatia and
SR Slovenia The Socialist Republic of Slovenia ( sl, Socialistična republika Slovenija, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Slovenija, Социјалистичка Република Словенија), commonly referred to as Sociali ...
attempted to launch a no-confidence motion against Mikulić in May 1988, but this proved unsuccessful. In June 1988, several thousand people protested in front of the Federal Assembly calling for Mikulić's resignation. After a no-confidence vote in the Federal Assembly, Mikulić resigned his post on 30 December 1988 and returned to Sarajevo. With this, Mikulić's government became the first and only to resign in the history of communist Yugoslavia. Mikulić left office with Yugoslavia in 21 billion USD of debt to Western countries. He was replaced by Ante Marković on 16 March 1989.He received the last rites shortly before his death. Mikulić died quietly in April 1994 during the Siege of Sarajevo. He was buried in the Catholic cemetery ''Sv. Josip'' in Sarajevo.Groblje „SV. JOSIP“


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Branko Mikulic - socialist emperor manqué

Nesuđeni socijalistički car
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikulic, Branko 1928 births 1994 deaths People from Gornji Vakuf Yugoslav Partisans members Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina Yugoslav communists Presidents of the Federal Executive Council of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina politicians 1984 Winter Olympics Presidents of the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games Recipients of the Olympic Order Bosnia and Herzegovina people of World War II Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia members Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia members Chairmen of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Deaths from lung cancer