Dragoljub Micunovic
Encyclopedia
Dragoljub Mićunović, PhD
(born June 14, 1930 in Merdare village near Kuršumlija
, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
) is a prominent Serbia
n politician and philosopher.
(then known as Skoplje) where his father worked as a civil servant. Following the invasion of Kingdom of Yugoslavia
by the Axis forces and the Bulgarian occupation of the southern parts of the country (where he was living), his family escaped to an area of present-day Serbia
(although still an Axis entity). After the World War II
, Mićunović spent two years in the Goli Otok
concentration camp. After his release, he completed his education, and in 1960 he became an assistant at the University of Belgrade
Faculty of Philosophy
. He was part of the Marxist humanist Praxis School
, and in 1975 he was expelled from the faculty, together with seven other colleagues.
in December 1989 who began the process of re-establishing the Democratic Party
(DS). He was elected the first President of the re-established Democratic Party
at the founding party conference on February 3, 1990.
He remained the party's president until 1994 when he was squeezed out from the top spot by Zoran Đinđić. Mićunović resigned and with a group of prominent intellectuals, founded the Fond Center for Democracy, a non-governmental organization for the development of civil society and the non-governmental sector, civil education and preparation of political and social reforms.
In 1996, Dragoljub Mićunović founded a new political party, Democratic Centre
, of which he was elected president.
He has been an MP in the State and Federal legislatures for more than 10 years. At the first multiparty elections in Serbia in 1990, he was elected a Member of Parliament of Serbia on behalf of the Democratic Party. As a Member of Parliament on the state level, he was elected a delegate to the Chamber of the Republics (upper chamber) of the Federal Parliament of Yugoslavia
in the period 1991-1992. At the Federal elections in 1992, Mićunović was elected a Member of the Federal Parliament as a representative of the Democratic Party. As a member of the opposition coalition “Zajedno”, he was re-elected a Member of Federal Parliament in the Chamber of Citizens (lower chamber) in 1996.
At the federal elections in 2000, as one of the leaders of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia
(DOS) coalition, Mićunović was again elected a Member of Parliament in the Chamber of Citizens of the Federal Assembly. After the victory of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia in October 2000, he was elected President of the Chamber of Citizens of the Federal Assembly on November 3, 2000. When the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro
was established, in March 2003, Dragoljub Mićunović was elected President of the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro
on March 3 that year. He held this position to March 3, 2004.
Dragoljub Mićunović is the winner of the first award for tolerance awarded by the Ministry for Human Rights, OSCE and B92
TV and radio station. For his contribution to the admission of the FR Yugoslavia to the Council of Europe
he was presented an award by the European Movement in Serbia. In 2001 he was awarded by the Slovakia
n Ministry of Foreign Affairs for "active contribution to the work of the Community for democratic change in Yugoslavia which assembled representatives of different political parties, civil society and international organizations".
Dragoljub Mićunović's Democratic Centre party merged into the Democratic Party in 2004 and he was one of the leading candidates on the Democratic Party list in the Serbian Parliamentary elections
held on January 21, 2007.
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(born June 14, 1930 in Merdare village near Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija
Kuršumlija is a town and municipality located in the south of Serbia, nearby the rivers Toplica, Kosanica and Banjska, on the southeast of mountain Kopaonik, and northwest of Radan Mountain...
, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
) is a prominent Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n politician and philosopher.
Early life
Mićunović's childhood was spent in SkopjeSkopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
(then known as Skoplje) where his father worked as a civil servant. Following the invasion of Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
by the Axis forces and the Bulgarian occupation of the southern parts of the country (where he was living), his family escaped to an area of present-day Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
(although still an Axis entity). After the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Mićunović spent two years in the Goli Otok
Goli otok
Goli otok is an island off the northern Adriatic coast, located between Rab's northeastern shore and the mainland, in what is today Croatia's Primorje-Gorski Kotar county. The island is barren and uninhabited...
concentration camp. After his release, he completed his education, and in 1960 he became an assistant at the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy
The University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Serbia, founded in the early 19th century within the Belgrade Higher School...
. He was part of the Marxist humanist Praxis School
Praxis School
The Praxis school was a Marxist humanist philosophical movement. It originated in Zagreb and Belgrade in the SFR Yugoslavia, during the 1960s.Prominent figures among the school's founders include Gajo Petrović and Milan Kangrga of Zagreb and Mihailo Marković of Belgrade...
, and in 1975 he was expelled from the faculty, together with seven other colleagues.
Politics
Mićunović was one of the members of the Founding Committee of the Democratic PartyThe Founding Committee of the Democratic Party
The Founding Committee of the Democratic Party were a group of pro-democracy activists and intellectuals who believed in transforming the communist one-party state of Yugoslavia into a modern democratic civil society...
in December 1989 who began the process of re-establishing the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Serbia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Serbia. It is described as a social liberal or social democratic party.-Pre-war history:The Democratic Party was established on 16 February 1919 from unification of Sarajevo parties independent radicals, progressives, liberals and the Serbian part of...
(DS). He was elected the first President of the re-established Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Serbia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Serbia. It is described as a social liberal or social democratic party.-Pre-war history:The Democratic Party was established on 16 February 1919 from unification of Sarajevo parties independent radicals, progressives, liberals and the Serbian part of...
at the founding party conference on February 3, 1990.
He remained the party's president until 1994 when he was squeezed out from the top spot by Zoran Đinđić. Mićunović resigned and with a group of prominent intellectuals, founded the Fond Center for Democracy, a non-governmental organization for the development of civil society and the non-governmental sector, civil education and preparation of political and social reforms.
In 1996, Dragoljub Mićunović founded a new political party, Democratic Centre
Democratic Centre (Serbia)
The Democratic Centre was a political party in Serbia. It was founded in 1996 by Dragoljub Mićunović.At the last legislative elections, 28 December 2003, the party elected 5 seats on the list of the Democratic Party. After the elections it merged into the Democratic Party....
, of which he was elected president.
He has been an MP in the State and Federal legislatures for more than 10 years. At the first multiparty elections in Serbia in 1990, he was elected a Member of Parliament of Serbia on behalf of the Democratic Party. As a Member of Parliament on the state level, he was elected a delegate to the Chamber of the Republics (upper chamber) of the Federal Parliament of Yugoslavia
Federal Assembly of the SFRY
The Parliament of Yugoslavia was the deliberative body of Yugoslavia. Before World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia it was known as the National Assembly , while in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia the name was changed to Federal Assembly...
in the period 1991-1992. At the Federal elections in 1992, Mićunović was elected a Member of the Federal Parliament as a representative of the Democratic Party. As a member of the opposition coalition “Zajedno”, he was re-elected a Member of Federal Parliament in the Chamber of Citizens (lower chamber) in 1996.
At the federal elections in 2000, as one of the leaders of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia
Democratic Opposition of Serbia
The Democratic Opposition of Serbia was a wide alliance of political parties in Serbia , formed as a coalition against the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia and its leader, Slobodan Milošević in 2000...
(DOS) coalition, Mićunović was again elected a Member of Parliament in the Chamber of Citizens of the Federal Assembly. After the victory of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia in October 2000, he was elected President of the Chamber of Citizens of the Federal Assembly on November 3, 2000. When the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
was established, in March 2003, Dragoljub Mićunović was elected President of the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro
Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro
The Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro was the legislative body of Serbia and Montenegro. The parliament was unicameral and was made up of 126 deputies, of which 91 were from Serbia and 35 were from Montenegro. The parliament was established in 2003, and was a replacement for the Federal...
on March 3 that year. He held this position to March 3, 2004.
Dragoljub Mićunović is the winner of the first award for tolerance awarded by the Ministry for Human Rights, OSCE and B92
B92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
TV and radio station. For his contribution to the admission of the FR Yugoslavia to the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
he was presented an award by the European Movement in Serbia. In 2001 he was awarded by the Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
n Ministry of Foreign Affairs for "active contribution to the work of the Community for democratic change in Yugoslavia which assembled representatives of different political parties, civil society and international organizations".
Dragoljub Mićunović's Democratic Centre party merged into the Democratic Party in 2004 and he was one of the leading candidates on the Democratic Party list in the Serbian Parliamentary elections
Serbian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections took place in Serbia on 21 January 2007. The first session of the new National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was held on 14 February 2007....
held on January 21, 2007.