Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica Војислав Коштуница | |
|---|---|
| File:Vojislav Koštunica2.jpg | |
| 7th Prime Minister of Serbia (since 2004) | |
| Assumed office March 3, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Zoran Živković |
| 4th President of Yugoslavia | |
| In office October 6th, 2000 – March 7, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Slobodan Milošević |
| Succeeded by | Svetozar Marović |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 24, 1944 Belgrade, Yugoslavia |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Political party | Democratic Party of Serbia |
| Spouse | Zorica Radović |
Dr. Vojislav Koštunica ⓘ (Serbian Cyrillic: Војислав Коштуница) (pronounced /ˈvɔjisla:v kɔˈʃtuniʦa/, born March 24, 1944, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now Serbia) is the current Prime Minister of Serbia. He was also the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević.
A law graduate from the University of Belgrade with a Ph.D. at the Faculty of Law, he lost his job in 1974 after criticizing Tito's Communist government. In 1989, he became one of the founders of the Democratic Party. Later he became the leader of the new Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), of which he is still president.
Koštunica was a conservative politician with no connection to the old Communist Party (from which Slobodan Milošević's party originated), supported both by the "democratic" and the "nationalistic" voters, so the Democratic Opposition of Serbia backed him in the presidential election of September 2000.
After turbulent events of October 2000, Koštunica was finally declared the winner of the election and remained president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until 2003, when the state was replaced by Serbia and Montenegro and the position he held was abolished. Koštunica opposed the extradition of his predecessor, Slobodan Milošević, and has stated his opposition to the Hague Tribunal several times.
Following the parliamentary elections in December 2003, in which the DSS emerged as the largest of the pro-EU parties, Koštunica became prime minister in March 2004 at the head of the new minority government of Serbia, albeit with the support of the Socialist Party of Serbia.
Following the bad showing of the government candidate Dragan Maršićanin in the Serbian presidential elections, 2004, Koštunica announced that fresh parliamentary elections should be expected by the end of the year just following the adoption of a new Constitution for Serbia.
Since then the minority government of Vojislav Koštunica has maintained a frail coalition government.
Koštunica lives with his wife and fellow lawyer, Zorica Radović, Ph.D. He is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
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