Vlado Buckovski
Encyclopedia
Vlado Bučkovski (born December 2, 1962 in Skopje
Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Republic of Macedonia) is a former prime minister
of the Republic of Macedonia
, elected by parliament
on December 15, 2004. He was previously the defense minister of Macedonia from May 2001 to November 2001 and from November 2002 to December 2004. He was president of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia. After 2006's election defeat by the centre-right VMRO-DPMNE, Radmila Šekerinska took over the party's leadership.
On December 9, 2008 Bučkovski was found guilty of abuse of power while serving as defence minister during an armed conflict in 2001 and sentenced to three and a half years in jail.
, then part of Yugoslavia. In the period from 1988 to 2002 he worked as a lecturer, collaborator, junior assistant and as an assistant at the Faculty of Law in Skopje, while in 2003 he worked as an associate professor at the same faculty.
In the period from 1998 to 2000 Bučkovski was a member of the State Election Commission; while in 2000-2001 he was a Chairman of Skopje City Council. In the period from May 13 until November 26, 2001 he performed the function of a Minister of Defense in the wide coalition Government. From November 1, 2002 until December 2004, Bučkovski was a member of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia in which he performed the function of a Minister of Defense.
Bučkovski became a Chairman of the Government's Legal Council on September 15, 2003. He was elected SDSM Leader on November 26, 2004. On the same day, he was assigned a mandate for a composition of a new Government, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Hari Kostov
. He served as prime minister until after the 2006 parliamentary elections, in which his party had a disappointing performance and a new government took office.
's centre-right ruling coalition voted on August 20 2007 to strip former premier Bučkovski of his immunity from prosecution. That left him liable to being arrested on charges of involvement in an arms procurement deal costing the country 2.5 million euros (3.18 million U.S. dollars).
Prosecution said he had allegedly benefited from conspiring in 2001 with former Macedonian army chief of staff, General Metodi Stamboliski in buying and selling off spare parts for the army's Russian-made T-55 tanks. Stamboliski was arrested in late July 2007, charged with embezzling 1.8 million Euros (about US $2.5 million) and released on bail.
Skopje
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...
Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Republic of Macedonia) is a former prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, elected by parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
on December 15, 2004. He was previously the defense minister of Macedonia from May 2001 to November 2001 and from November 2002 to December 2004. He was president of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia. After 2006's election defeat by the centre-right VMRO-DPMNE, Radmila Šekerinska took over the party's leadership.
On December 9, 2008 Bučkovski was found guilty of abuse of power while serving as defence minister during an armed conflict in 2001 and sentenced to three and a half years in jail.
Education
Bučkovski graduated from the Faculty of Law in Skopje in 1986, while he took his M.A. degree in 1992 at the Faculty of Law in Skopje. He took his Ph.D. degree at the Faculty of Law in Skopje in 1998, on topic "Roman and Contemporary Obligation Law".Working and political experience
From 1987 to 1988 Bučkovski worked as an expert collaborator in the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of MacedoniaSocialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, then part of Yugoslavia. In the period from 1988 to 2002 he worked as a lecturer, collaborator, junior assistant and as an assistant at the Faculty of Law in Skopje, while in 2003 he worked as an associate professor at the same faculty.
In the period from 1998 to 2000 Bučkovski was a member of the State Election Commission; while in 2000-2001 he was a Chairman of Skopje City Council. In the period from May 13 until November 26, 2001 he performed the function of a Minister of Defense in the wide coalition Government. From November 1, 2002 until December 2004, Bučkovski was a member of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia in which he performed the function of a Minister of Defense.
Bučkovski became a Chairman of the Government's Legal Council on September 15, 2003. He was elected SDSM Leader on November 26, 2004. On the same day, he was assigned a mandate for a composition of a new Government, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Hari Kostov
Hari Kostov
Hari Kostov was the prime minister of Republic of Macedonia from May 2004 to November 2004. He was appointed to the position of Prime Minister by the parliament on May 31, 2004, two weeks after being nominated by President Branko Crvenkovski. Kostov was an economic advisor to the Macedonian...
. He served as prime minister until after the 2006 parliamentary elections, in which his party had a disappointing performance and a new government took office.
Scandal
Sobranie delegates belonging to parties in MacedoniaRepublic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
's centre-right ruling coalition voted on August 20 2007 to strip former premier Bučkovski of his immunity from prosecution. That left him liable to being arrested on charges of involvement in an arms procurement deal costing the country 2.5 million euros (3.18 million U.S. dollars).
Prosecution said he had allegedly benefited from conspiring in 2001 with former Macedonian army chief of staff, General Metodi Stamboliski in buying and selling off spare parts for the army's Russian-made T-55 tanks. Stamboliski was arrested in late July 2007, charged with embezzling 1.8 million Euros (about US $2.5 million) and released on bail.