Dragan Čavić ( sr-Cyrl, Драган Чавић; born 10 March 1958) is a
Bosnian Serb politician who was the 5th
President of Republika Srpska from 28 November 2002 until 9 November 2006, after having been
Vice President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
from 2000 to 2002.
From 20 July 2004 until 15 December 2006, he was the
President of the Serb Democratic Party.
Education and personal life
Čavić attended elementary and high school in
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...
, and graduated from the Economics Faculty of the
University of Banja Luka in 1980. He worked as an economist, financial manager and commercial director in several public and private companies. Čavić is married and has a son and a daughter.
Political career
Čavić is a former member of the
Serb Democratic Party: he served as president of the party until 2006, after having been deputy president of the party presidency from June 1998 to March 2002. At the party elections in 2002 he was elected deputy president of the party.
In 1998, he was elected deputy in the
National Assembly of Republika Srpska. He was removed from office by the then High Representative
Carlos Westendorp since he was deemed obstructing implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, and banned from political activity. The decision was overturned in 1999 by Vestendorp's successor,
Wolfgang Petritsch.
Čavić became the
president of Republika Srpska on 28 November 2002, after the municipal elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina in October, thus replacing the former president
Mirko Šarović
Mirko Šarović ( sr-cyrl, Мирко Шаровић; born 16 September 1956) is a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb politician who served as the List of Serb members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3rd Serb member of the ...
. He received 35.9% of votes, while his most successful rival,
Milan Jelić, won 22.1%. Voter turnout was 53.9%.
At the
2006 Bosnian general election, Čavić lost in the race for president of Republika Srpska to his rival
Milan Jelić (SNSD). Shortly afterwards he was blamed for the defeat and resigned as president of the SDS. The SDS was then split between two factions in conflicts: the reformists led by Čavić, and the conservatives backed by Dragan Kalinić, former President of the SDS.
On 11 December 2008, he announced at a press conference his retirement from the SDS and the launch of a new party, together with the
RS MP Vojislav Gligić and Branislav Škobo, also former SDS MPs. On 15 January 2009 in
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...
Čavić registered the
Democratic Party of Republika Srpska, whose co-founders are Momčilo Novaković, Gligić, Škobo and Đorđe Milićević. Since 2010, he has been a deputy of this party in the
National Assembly of Republika Srpska.
At the
2012 municipal elections, Čavić run for mayor of
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...
; with 32.2% of the vote, he came second to Slobodan Gavranović (
SNSD), elected with 40.2% of the votes.
Election result of the mayoral election in Banja Luka 2012
see also:
A lesson for Dodik
'', taz.de, October 9, 2012
In 2013, his Democratic Party merged with the National Democratic Party to form the National Democratic Movement.
Honors
*Order of the Republika Srpska
The Order of the Republika Srpska () is the Republika Srpska's highest award. It can be awarded to any head of state, "exceptional person", or institution in recognition of "excellent work strengthening the national consciousness egardingthe ...
(2012)
References
External links
Internet stranica Demokratske partije RS
Blog Dragana Čavića
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavic, Dragan
1958 births
Living people
Politicians from Zenica
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serb Democratic Party (Bosnia and Herzegovina) politicians
Vice presidents of Republika Srpska