Andrija Mandic
Encyclopedia
Andrija Mandić (born January 19, 1965, Šavnik
, Montenegro
, Yugoslavia
) is a Montenegrin
politician
. He is the President of the major ethnic Serb
political party
in Montenegro
, the New Serb Democracy
(NSD). He is the Head of the NOVA parliamentary club in the Parliament of Montenegro
.
, Socialist Republic of Montenegro
, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
. He graduated at the Metallurgic-Technical Faculty at the Veljko Vlahović University
in Titograd, the little socialist
republic's capital city.
He was the owner of a night bar in Podgorica
by the name of "The Scene" (Сцена), which he opened after he retired from the short-lived political life with the Reformist Communists. A frequent visitor of the bar was Milo Djukanovic, which aroused suspicion on their personal relationship and Mandic's attitude towards the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
(to which the Communist party changed its name) and the positions in private life he was achieving ever since Djukanovic was appointed the first Prime Minister
, culminating with the allegation of Belgrade's "The Tabloid" in 2003 that Mandic is actually a godfather
of Djukanovic. The tabloid also accused Mandic that he was, during the troublesome 1990s with all the sanctions and isolation, in the beginning one of the many people who were pushed into petty smuggling and murky deals for survival.
As director and co-owner of the action society for the manufacturing of colored metals, he initiated the first private production of Aluminium
alloys in Montenegro
after his night bar was closed. It was opened near Podgorica in Bioče
, mostly in collaboration with "Vectra". Rumors about questionable financial transactions exist, due to various private deals between the Montenegrin government and Vectra, one of many during Djukanovic's mandate, which eventually led to the failure of that which was back then the most successful Montenegrin company
. Mandic acknowledged his role in the foundation of Montenegro's biggest firm, but puts the blame on its failure and later happenings to Djukanovic as President of the Montenegrin Government.
In collaboration with the Metallurgic-Technical Faculty in Podgorica
, Andrija Mandic worked over the years on projecting, manufacturing and installing equipment for production of aluminium alloys, as well as on commercial metallurgic engineering.
in 1990 by joining the Union of Reform Forces of Yugoslavia (SRSJ). The party led by Croatian politician Ante Marković
was the predecessor of most the social-democratic and liberal political parties across the former Yugoslavia
. Mandić became one of its strongest activists in SR Montenegro
, the main purpose presenting an alternative to the nationalist and aggressive political forces that were amassing across SFRY, standing ready to plunge it into war, e.g. including the emergence of Slobodan Milošević
in Serbia
or Franjo Tuđman in Croatia
. The opposition in MNE precisely was aimed against the ruling Communist League
local branch
and their fiery leaders trio of Momir Bulatović
, Milo Đukanović and Svetozar Marović
.
The reformists did manage to present themselves as the main opposition force, however they were still far behind the Communist League which achieved complete victory, and after 1991 the Union fell apart due to the outbreak of civil wars
across the country. Mandić abandoned political life in disappointment and retired to private business.
, which claimed restoration of the old political party, the very first Montenegrin one, in the old Montenegrin monarchy
, cherishing among other values the Serb roots and identity of the Montenegrins. However, rather than strictly loyal to party president Novak Kilibarda
, he was much closer to the leader of its right wing Božidar Bojović, a conservative branch which desired a more hard-line approach in national identification and criticism of the current government.
leadership's decision to form a coalition with the ruling Milo Đukanović's Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
. SNS CG considered that NS CG abandoned the national original aims of the party.
He served numerous functions in the party, originally as a vice-president of the municipal board for Podgorica and a member of the Supreme Board of the Party, as well as a member of the Executive Board of SrNS CG. He served also one term as Director of the Party and in two terms he was the President of the Executive Board. In second before the last the Cabinet of the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Andrija was the Deputy Minister for Industry.
A relatively unknown and not prominent partial figure, in 2002 he ran for President of SNS CG and to much public amazement defeated then's President Dr Božidar Bojović. He went into conflict and was harshly criticized by Bojovic and the municipal boards that supported him, eventually the old league political leadership being ousted from the party. Mandic asserted a new directive that strictly supported the European Union
and maintained the Together for Change
political alliance of the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
aimed at defeating the authoritarian regime of Milo Djukanovic, and managed to take lead in front of NS CG within the alliance at the elections
. The first problem he had to deal with is several SNS members defecting and forming the Democratic Serb Party under Ranko Kadić, with a more moderate line.
He led SNS into the Movement for European Serbia and Montenegro of Zoran Žižić
from 2003 to 2006, that finished with the Montenegrin independence referendum
during which Mandic was one of the leaders of the Bloc for Common State Serbia and Montenegro, ending in defeat. Around that time Mandic was the proponent of breaking the traditional partnership with the Democratic Party of Serbia
, in favor of G17 Plus
.
Breaking off from the SNP-led coalition, in 2006 he headed a formation of a major alliance with political parties and movements, aimed to protect the interests of Serbs
in Montenegro, the Serb List
, that achieved good results in the elections
, which became the strongest opposition force in the parliament.
In 2007 when the National Assembly of Serbia
adopted the resolution to allow Serbs abroad to obtain Serbian citizenship, he took it, which was a controversial act due to the ruling coalition's opposition to dual citizenship for Serbs. Andrija opposed the draft of the new Constitution of Montenegro
that controversially renamed the official language from Serbian
to Montenegrin
and called the Serbian people in Montenegro not to recognize the Constitution.
Ever since he took over the party is progressing. Andrija Mandic has in 2007 led his party towards close partnership with New Serbia
and controversial Serb politician Velimir Ilic
.
Šavnik
Šavnik is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 570 .Šavnik is the centre of the municipality and unofficial centre of Drobnjaci region, home of the Drobnjaci tribe....
, Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro or SR Montenegro in shortened form, was a socialist state that was a constituent country in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of the modern day Montenegro...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
) is a Montenegrin
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is the President of the major ethnic Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, the New Serb Democracy
New Serb Democracy
New Serb Democracy is a political party in Montenegro, formed on 24 January 2009 as a merger of the Serbian People's Party and the People's Socialist Party of Montenegro....
(NSD). He is the Head of the NOVA parliamentary club in the Parliament of Montenegro
Parliament of Montenegro
The Parliament of Montenegro is the unicameral legislature of Montenegro. The Parliament currently has 81 members, each elected for a four-year term. The current Speaker of the Parliament is Ranko Krivokapić, while the deputy speakers are Željko Šturanović and Rifat Rastoder...
.
Private life
Andrija Mandic was born in 1965 in ŠavnikŠavnik
Šavnik is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 570 .Šavnik is the centre of the municipality and unofficial centre of Drobnjaci region, home of the Drobnjaci tribe....
, Socialist Republic of Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro or SR Montenegro in shortened form, was a socialist state that was a constituent country in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of the modern day Montenegro...
, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. He graduated at the Metallurgic-Technical Faculty at the Veljko Vlahović University
University of Montenegro
The University of Montenegro is a university located in Podgorica, Montenegro. It was founded in 1974 and is organized in 20 Faculties.-History:...
in Titograd, the little socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
republic's capital city.
He was the owner of a night bar in Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
by the name of "The Scene" (Сцена), which he opened after he retired from the short-lived political life with the Reformist Communists. A frequent visitor of the bar was Milo Djukanovic, which aroused suspicion on their personal relationship and Mandic's attitude towards the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro....
(to which the Communist party changed its name) and the positions in private life he was achieving ever since Djukanovic was appointed the first Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Montenegro
The Prime Minister of Montenegro , is the head of the Government of Montenegro. The role of the Prime Minister is to direct the work of the Government, and to submit to the Parliament the Government's Program, including a list of proposed ministers...
, culminating with the allegation of Belgrade's "The Tabloid" in 2003 that Mandic is actually a godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
of Djukanovic. The tabloid also accused Mandic that he was, during the troublesome 1990s with all the sanctions and isolation, in the beginning one of the many people who were pushed into petty smuggling and murky deals for survival.
As director and co-owner of the action society for the manufacturing of colored metals, he initiated the first private production of Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
alloys in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
after his night bar was closed. It was opened near Podgorica in Bioče
Bioce
Bioče is a village nine miles northeast of Podgorica in Montenegro. In 2003 census it had a population of 179...
, mostly in collaboration with "Vectra". Rumors about questionable financial transactions exist, due to various private deals between the Montenegrin government and Vectra, one of many during Djukanovic's mandate, which eventually led to the failure of that which was back then the most successful Montenegrin company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
. Mandic acknowledged his role in the foundation of Montenegro's biggest firm, but puts the blame on its failure and later happenings to Djukanovic as President of the Montenegrin Government.
In collaboration with the Metallurgic-Technical Faculty in Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, Andrija Mandic worked over the years on projecting, manufacturing and installing equipment for production of aluminium alloys, as well as on commercial metallurgic engineering.
Union of Reform Forces
Andrija Mandić decided to enter political life during his mid-twenties with the introduction of multi-party systemParliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
in 1990 by joining the Union of Reform Forces of Yugoslavia (SRSJ). The party led by Croatian politician Ante Marković
Ante Markovic
Ante Marković was a statesman of the former Yugoslavia. He was the last prime minister of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.- Early life :...
was the predecessor of most the social-democratic and liberal political parties across the former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
. Mandić became one of its strongest activists in SR Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro
Socialist Republic of Montenegro or SR Montenegro in shortened form, was a socialist state that was a constituent country in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of the modern day Montenegro...
, the main purpose presenting an alternative to the nationalist and aggressive political forces that were amassing across SFRY, standing ready to plunge it into war, e.g. including the emergence of Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
in 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...
or Franjo Tuđman in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The opposition in MNE precisely was aimed against the ruling Communist League
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
local branch
League of Communists of Montenegro
The League of Communists of Montenegro was the Montenegrin branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990...
and their fiery leaders trio of Momir Bulatović
Momir Bulatovic
Momir Bulatović , formerly served as a Yugoslavian and Montenegrin politician. Bulatović became federal President of Montenegro while Montenegro was part of a Yugoslav federation, and also Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, Milo Đukanović and Svetozar Marović
Svetozar Marovic
Svetozar Marović ; born March 31, 1955) is a lawyer and a Montenegrin politician. He was the only president of Serbia and Montenegro...
.
The reformists did manage to present themselves as the main opposition force, however they were still far behind the Communist League which achieved complete victory, and after 1991 the Union fell apart due to the outbreak of civil wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
across the country. Mandić abandoned political life in disappointment and retired to private business.
People's Party
In the mid-1990s Andrija Mandic decided to return to political life and joined the People's PartyPeople's Party (Montenegro)
The People's Party is an opposition populist political party in Montenegro. It is the main conservative party in Montenegro, as opposed to ruling party and its main opposition, both of which are socialist orientated.At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, NS formed a...
, which claimed restoration of the old political party, the very first Montenegrin one, in the old Montenegrin monarchy
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe during the tumultuous years on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Legally it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolutist in practice...
, cherishing among other values the Serb roots and identity of the Montenegrins. However, rather than strictly loyal to party president Novak Kilibarda
Novak Kilibarda
Novak Kilibarda is a politician, writer and activist from Montenegro. He is the currently president of the inactive People's Concord of Montenegro....
, he was much closer to the leader of its right wing Božidar Bojović, a conservative branch which desired a more hard-line approach in national identification and criticism of the current government.
Serb People's Party
In 1997 he became one of the founders of the Serb People's Party of Montenegro, when numerous members of the People's Party of Montenegro defected from the political party, disagreeing with the party's Novak KilibardaNovak Kilibarda
Novak Kilibarda is a politician, writer and activist from Montenegro. He is the currently president of the inactive People's Concord of Montenegro....
leadership's decision to form a coalition with the ruling Milo Đukanović's Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro....
. SNS CG considered that NS CG abandoned the national original aims of the party.
He served numerous functions in the party, originally as a vice-president of the municipal board for Podgorica and a member of the Supreme Board of the Party, as well as a member of the Executive Board of SrNS CG. He served also one term as Director of the Party and in two terms he was the President of the Executive Board. In second before the last the Cabinet of the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Andrija was the Deputy Minister for Industry.
A relatively unknown and not prominent partial figure, in 2002 he ran for President of SNS CG and to much public amazement defeated then's President Dr Božidar Bojović. He went into conflict and was harshly criticized by Bojovic and the municipal boards that supported him, eventually the old league political leadership being ousted from the party. Mandic asserted a new directive that strictly supported the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and maintained the Together for Change
Together for Change
Together for Change was a political alliance in Montenegro that existed from 2001 to 2006, originally known as Together for Yugoslavia . It based itself upon the necessity for a united Yugoslav state with Serbia. Predrag Bulatović was its wingleader...
political alliance of the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro is a socialist opposition political party in Montenegro. It has 16 MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro, which it won on the 2009 parliamentary election...
aimed at defeating the authoritarian regime of Milo Djukanovic, and managed to take lead in front of NS CG within the alliance at the elections
Montenegrin parliamentary election, 2002
Montenegrin parliamentary elections were held in 2002. There were 455,791 eligible voters registered.* Patriotic Coalition for Yugoslavia** People's Socialist Party of Montenegro** Serbian Radical Party "Dr Vojislav Šešelj"...
. The first problem he had to deal with is several SNS members defecting and forming the Democratic Serb Party under Ranko Kadić, with a more moderate line.
He led SNS into the Movement for European Serbia and Montenegro of Zoran Žižić
Zoran Žižic
Zoran Žižić is a politician from Montenegro.A member of the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro, he became Prime Minister of Yugoslavia on November 4, 2000 shortly after the fall of Slobodan Milošević, when his colleague Momir Bulatović's cabinet collapsed...
from 2003 to 2006, that finished with the Montenegrin independence referendum
Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006
The Montenegrin independence referendum was a referendum on the independence of the Republic of Montenegro from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro that was held on 21 May 2006.The total turnout of the referendum was 86.5%...
during which Mandic was one of the leaders of the Bloc for Common State Serbia and Montenegro, ending in defeat. Around that time Mandic was the proponent of breaking the traditional partnership with the Democratic Party of Serbia
Democratic Party of Serbia
The Democratic Party of Serbia is a political party in Serbia.-Foundation:The Democratic Party of Serbia was founded when a faction of the Democratic Party that supported its involvement in the Democratic Movement of Serbia split from the party and formed their own in 1992.Soon after the March...
, in favor of G17 Plus
G17 Plus
G17 Plus , abbreviated to G17+, is a centre-right political party in Serbia. With 22 seats in the National Assembly, it is the third-largest party, and currently participates in a coalition with, amongst others, the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party...
.
Breaking off from the SNP-led coalition, in 2006 he headed a formation of a major alliance with political parties and movements, aimed to protect the interests of Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
in Montenegro, the Serb List
Serb List
Serb List was a political alliance in Montenegro. In contrast to other political coalitions, the Serb List was not simply a coalition of parties, but an entity on its own; for instance, the MPs elected on its list are not considered to represent the party they originally come from, but the Serb List...
, that achieved good results in the elections
Montenegrin parliamentary election, 2006
The election for the Constitutional Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro in the newly independent Republic of Montenegro took place on September 10, 2006, with Prime Minister Milo Đukanović claiming absolute victory for his centre-left, pro-European Union party the next day...
, which became the strongest opposition force in the parliament.
In 2007 when the National Assembly of Serbia
National Assembly of Serbia
The National Assembly of Serbia is the unicameral parliament of Serbia. It is composed of 250 proportionally elected deputies elected in general elections by secret ballot, on 4 years term. The National Assembly elects the President of the National Assembly who presides over the sessions...
adopted the resolution to allow Serbs abroad to obtain Serbian citizenship, he took it, which was a controversial act due to the ruling coalition's opposition to dual citizenship for Serbs. Andrija opposed the draft of the new Constitution of Montenegro
Constitution of Montenegro
The current Constitution of Montenegro was ratified and adopted by the Constitutional Parliament of Montenegro on 19 October 2007 on an extraordinary session by achieving the required two-thirds supermajority of votes. The Constitution was officially proclaimed as the Constitution of Montenegro on...
that controversially renamed the official language from Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
to Montenegrin
Montenegrin language
Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro...
and called the Serbian people in Montenegro not to recognize the Constitution.
Ever since he took over the party is progressing. Andrija Mandic has in 2007 led his party towards close partnership with New Serbia
New Serbia
New Serbia is a political party in Serbia. It was created in 1997 by a number of dissidents from the Serbian Renewal Movement....
and controversial Serb politician Velimir Ilic
Velimir Ilic
Velimir "Velja" Ilić is Serbian politician and a former Minister of Capital Investments in the Serbian government in the cabinet of Vojislav Koštunica.- Biography :...
.