Nijaz Duraković (1 January 1949 – 29 January 2012) was a Bosnian author, intellectual, professor and politician who served as the 9th and final president of the League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1989 to 1990. He is widely considered to have been one of the most influential modern authors on sociopolitical issues in the region of his generation. Duraković served as the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina alongside

Alija Izetbegović Alija Izetbegović (; ; 8 August 1925 – 19 October 2003) was a Bosnian politician, lawyer, Islamic philosopher and author, who in 1992 became the first president of the Presidency of the newly independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovin ...

from 1993 to 1996, most of it during the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

. He was the founder and first president of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

. He also served as member of the national

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

from 2002 until 2006. Born in January 1949, Duraković died in January 2012 at the age of 63.

Political career

Duraković was born in

Stolac Stolac is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cities in Bosnia and Herzego ...

, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia on 1 January 1949 to Hakija and Ćamila. He completed his primary and secondary education there, and then his BA, MA, and Ph.D. degrees in sociology at the

University of Sarajevo The University of Sarajevo ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Univerzitet u Sarajevu'' / Sveučilište u Sarajevu / Универзитет у Сарајеву) is a public university located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the largest ...

. He served as the last president of the League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 29 June 1989 until December 1990, and as the first president of the

from 27 December 1992 to 6 April 1997. On 20 October 1993, Duraković became a member of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the

, serving alongside

until 5 October 1996. At the 2002 general election, he was elected to the national

, serving as its member until 6 November 2006

Publications

Beyond politics, Duraković was widely recognized as one of the country's most prolific authors. His body of work includes 16 books and more than 200 scientific journals and articles which he wrote during his tenure as Senior Professor at the

Faculty of Political Science in Sarajevo The Faculty of Political Science in Sarajevo ( bs, Fakultet političkih nauka u Sarajevu) or FPN is one of the 24 faculties of University of Sarajevo. The faculty was formed in 1961 as former "High School of Political Science in Sarajevo" and it ...

. Duraković's most prominent book is ''The Curse of Muslims'' (Prokletstvo Muslimana).

Death

Duraković died on 29 January 2012 in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

following a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

, at the age of 63. His death was met with statements of sympathy and tribute from many people and organizations. Bosnian Presidency chairman

Željko Komšić Željko Komšić (; born 20 January 1964) is a Bosnian politician and diplomat who is the 6th and current Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is also its current chairman, since 2021. Previously, he was a member of the na ...

released a statement upon Duraković's death, describing him as a "great man" and a "successful politician and fighter for Bosnia and Herzegovina." Federal prime minister

Nermin Nikšić Nermin Nikšić (; born 27 December 1960) is a Bosnian politician who served as the 8th Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2011 to 2015. He is the current president of the Social Democratic Party and is a former membe ...

stated "There will be a gap behind Duraković that will be difficult to fill. Generations that follow his example can learn how to love Bosnia and Herzegovina."

References

External links

Political career

Publications

Death

See also

References

External links