Ivan Stambolić | |
|---|---|
| Иван Стамболић | |
.jpg) Stambolić in 1986 | |
| President of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Serbia | |
| In office 5 May 1986 – 14 December 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Dušan Čkrebić |
| Succeeded by | Petar Gračanin |
| President of the Presidency of theLeague of Communists of Serbia | |
| In office 17 May 1984 – 31 May 1986 | |
| Secretary | Radiša Gačić |
| Preceded by | Dušan Čkrebić |
| Succeeded by | Slobodan Milošević |
| President of theExecutive Council of theSocialist Republic of Serbia | |
| In office 6 May 1978 – 5 May 1982 | |
| Preceded by | Dušan Čkrebić |
| Succeeded by | Branislav Ikonić |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1936-11-05)5 November 1936 Brezova,Ivanjica,Yugoslavia |
| Died | 25 August 2000(2000-08-25) (aged 63) Fruška Gora,Serbia,Yugoslavia |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Resting place | Topčider Cemetery,Topčider |
| Political party | SKJ (until 1990) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Petar Stambolić (uncle) |
| Alma mater | University of Belgrade |
Ivan Stambolić (Serbian:Иван Стамболић; 5 November 1936 – 25 August 2000) was a Serbian politician who served as thepresident of the League of Communists of Serbia (SKS) from 1984 to 1986. A prominent member of SKS, he also served asprime minister of Serbia from 1978 to 1982 and aspresident of Serbia from 1986 to 1987.
Stambolić was the mentor ofSlobodan Milošević whom he also nominated as his successor to the position of the president of SKS. Milošević would, however, adoptpopulist positions and dismiss Stambolić and his allies in 1987. Stambolić retired from politics but remained in contact with opposition politicians during Milošević's rule in the 1990s. Stambolić was persuaded by theDemocratic Opposition of Serbia to run against Milošević in theSeptember 2000 general election, however, Stambolić disappeared in August 2000. It was later revealed that he wasassassinated on the orders of Milošević. His uncle was politicianPetar Stambolić.[1]
Born in village ofBrezova nearIvanjica, Stambolić has graduated from theUniversity of Belgrade'sLaw School. In May 1986, he became the President ofSerbia. He was a mentor and a close personal friend toSlobodan Milošević, and supported him in the elections for the new leader of theLeague of Communists of Serbia, to the dismay of the other leaders in the party. Stambolić spent three days advocating Milošević's election and finally managed to secure him a tight victory, the tightest ever in the history of Serbian Communist Party internal elections.
Stambolić and Milošević held similar views on the autonomous provinces of Serbia,Kosovo andVojvodina, both feeling that constitutional changes were necessary to sort out their relationship with the centre. Stambolić managed to win over theLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia to his position on this matter at the Thirteenth Congress of the LCY, held in 1986, and then set up a commission to work out the details of the constitutional reforms that were eventually passed in 1989. He also wanted to protect the rights of Serbs andMontenegrins in Kosovo, insisting as early as 1982 that he would speak up for those rights even if his opponents labelled him aGreater Serbian nationalist. Where Milošević and he differed on these matters was Milošević's demand for greater rapidity and his stronger sympathy for Serb demonstrators. It was the issue of speed that was to bring the two into conflict.
Stambolić and the Serbian government joined the federal Yugoslav government in harshly condemning the controversialMemorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts of 1986 for inciting nationalism.[2] Stambolić said:
"We [communist party leaders] do not accept the Memorandum’s call for Serbia to turn its back on its own future and the future of Yugoslavia, for it to arbitrarily accuse the proven leaders of the revolution and of socialist development, for Serbian Communists to be seen as the illegitimate leaders of the working class and people of Serbia".[3]
Dragiša Pavlović, Milošević's fairlyliberal successor at the head of theBelgrade Committee of the party, opposed his policy towards the solving of the issues of the Kosovo Serbs, calling it "hastily promised speed". Milošević denounced Pavlović as being soft onAlbanian radicals, contrary to advice from Stambolić. On 23/24 September 1987, at the subsequenteighth session of the Central Committee, one that lasted around 30 hours, and was broadcast live on the state television, Milošević had Pavlović deposed, to the utter embarrassment of Stambolić, who resigned under pressure from Milošević's supporters a few days later.
In December 1987, Stambolić was officially voted off the position and replaced byPetar Gračanin, who was in turn succeeded the following year by Milošević himself.
Stambolić mysteriously disappeared on 25 August 2000, still during the rule of Slobodan Milošević. On 28 March 2003, the police revealed that he was murdered onFruška Gora by eightSpecial Operations Unit officers. On 18 July 2005, these men and their co-conspirators were found guilty of the murder of Stambolić and were sentenced to between 15 and 40 years in prison. The court found that the order for Stambolić's murder came fromSlobodan Milošević.[4][5]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Serbia 6 May 1978–5 May 1982 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chairman of the League of Communists of Serbia 1984–May 1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Serbia 5 May 1986–14 December 1987 | Succeeded by |
| Presidents of People's Assembly ofPR/SR Serbia (1945–1974) (withinFPR/SFR Yugoslavia) | |
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| Presidents of Presidency of SR Serbia (1974–1992) (within SFR Yugoslavia) | %2c_Flag_of_Serbia_(1947%25E2%2580%25931992).svg) |
| Presidents of theRepublic of Serbia (1992–2006) (withinFR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro) | |
| Presidents of theRepublic of Serbia (since 2006) | |
* acting | |
 Revolutionary Serbia(1804–1813) |  | |
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 Principality of Serbia(1815–1882) |
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 Kingdom of Serbia(1882–1918) | ||
 Socialist Republic of Serbia(1945–1992) | ||
 Republic of Serbia(1992–2006) |
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 Republic of Serbia(since 2006) |
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Regents or interimpresidents are initalics | ||
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