Ante Prkacin
Encyclopedia
Ante Prkačin is a Croatian
general, businessman and right-wing politician.
, where he also studied at the Faculty of Economics, in addition to the Faculty of Petrochemistry in Sisak
.
In 1989, as a radical Croatian nationalist, he joined the nationalist Croatian Democratic Party and won a seat in the first assembly of the Croatian Parliament in the 1990 elections
, when his party was aligned with the Coalition of People's Accord
.
In the late 1991, Prkačin moved to the Croatian Party of Rights
. He soon became one of its representatives in Croatian Parliament, after the second Sabor election. There he excelled with great eloquence, becoming well known by members of Parliament
and earning great respect even among those Croatians who didn't share his political views.
In 1992, when the war escalated in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Prkačin took part as a leader of HSP militia Croatian Defence Forces
(Hrvatske obrambene snage, HOS) with the rank of general, and had close co-operation with government of Alija Izetbegović
. After Blaž Kraljević
was killed in August 1992, Prkačin participated in the negotiations of HOS and Croatian Defence Council
(HVO). In the fall of the same year, he was a member of the joint command of Croatian Defence Council
and Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Upon his return to Croatia, he began to distance himself from Dobroslav Paraga
and spent the rest of his Sabor days as independent representative.
He left HSP in 1995.
In October 1999 he founded a new party called New Croatia (Nova Hrvatska), and under its banner ran for Croatian President. In the first round of the Croatian presidential election, 2000
he won just 0.28% of the vote, finishing 7th, and was eliminated.
While not achieving much in the world of politics, Prkačin managed to remain in public spotlight by often appearing in various talk shows and being involved in Croatian entertainment industry. In 2001 he tried acting and played the role of a priest in a movie Polagana predaja.
In 2004, Prkačin was briefly in the public spotlight after two of his friends engaged in an urban gunfight in Slavonski Brod
because of a conflict between him and Mladen Kruljac, another officer from the Croatian war.
In January 2009, Prkačin testified as a witness before a court in Sarajevo
regarding the 1999 assassination of Jozo Leutar, the then-Minister of Internal Affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
. Three months later, Ante Jelavić
said Prkačin had implicated him and accused him of being a former member of Yugoslav secret service KOS.
In August 2009, one Sakib Balić, a former HOS soldier, publicly accused Prkačin of commanding HOS units that participated in the Sijekovac killings, when numerous Serb civilians were killed in the village of Sijekovac near Bosanski Brod
in 1992. The same accusation was echoed by one Ane Mihajlović, a veteran from the Army of Republika Srpska
, at the event in May 2010 when Ivo Josipović
and Sulejman Tihić
visited the site to pay respect to around fifty civilian victims of the March 1992 events. The site and the visit provoked some controversy in the Croatian public, with allegations of impropriety levelled against President Josipović and the authorities of Republika Srpska
.
In 2011 Prkačin returned to Croatian Party of Rights
.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
general, businessman and right-wing politician.
Biography
Prkačin was born in Slavonski BrodSlavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the...
, where he also studied at the Faculty of Economics, in addition to the Faculty of Petrochemistry in Sisak
Sisak
Sisak is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county...
.
In 1989, as a radical Croatian nationalist, he joined the nationalist Croatian Democratic Party and won a seat in the first assembly of the Croatian Parliament in the 1990 elections
Croatian parliamentary election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 22 April 1990, with a second round of voting on 6 May. The first free elections since multi-party politics were introduced, they resulted in a victory for the Croatian Democratic Union, which won 55 of the 80 seats...
, when his party was aligned with the Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord was the bloc of mostly moderate nationalist and liberal parties formed on the eve of first multi-party elections in Croatia in 1990....
.
In the late 1991, Prkačin moved to the Croatian Party of Rights
Croatian Party of Rights
The Croatian Party of Rights is a right-wing political party in Croatia. The "right" in the party's name refer to the idea of Croatian national and ethnic rights that the party has vowed to protect since its founding in the 19th century...
. He soon became one of its representatives in Croatian Parliament, after the second Sabor election. There he excelled with great eloquence, becoming well known by members of 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...
and earning great respect even among those Croatians who didn't share his political views.
In 1992, when the war escalated in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Prkačin took part as a leader of HSP militia Croatian Defence Forces
Croatian Defence Forces
The Croatian Defence Forces was the military arm of the Croatian Party of Rights from 1991 to 1992 during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars....
(Hrvatske obrambene snage, HOS) with the rank of general, and had close co-operation with government of Alija Izetbegović
Alija Izetbegovic
Alija Izetbegović was a Bosniak activist, lawyer, author, philosopher and politician, who, in 1990, became the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served in this role until 1996, when he became a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving until 2000...
. After Blaž Kraljević
Blaž Kraljevic
Blaž Nikola Kraljević was a Bosnian Croat paramilitary leader during the first few months of the Bosnian War who commanded the Croatian Defence Forces...
was killed in August 1992, Prkačin participated in the negotiations of HOS and Croatian Defence Council
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council was a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War.-History:...
(HVO). In the fall of the same year, he was a member of the joint command of Croatian Defence Council
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council was a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War.-History:...
and Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Upon his return to Croatia, he began to distance himself from Dobroslav Paraga
Dobroslav Paraga
Dobroslav Paraga is a Croatian right-wing politician.-Background:In his early days Dobroslav Paraga used to advocate secession of Croatia from Yugoslavia and that led him to be persecuted by the Communist authorities. Paraga used that persecution as an argument against Yugoslavia and its low human...
and spent the rest of his Sabor days as independent representative.
He left HSP in 1995.
In October 1999 he founded a new party called New Croatia (Nova Hrvatska), and under its banner ran for Croatian President. In the first round of the Croatian presidential election, 2000
Croatian presidential election, 2000
Presidential elections were held in Croatia on 24 January 2000. As no candidate passed the 50% threshold, a secound round was held on 7 February, the first time a second round had been required in the country's history. The result was a victory for Stjepan Mesić of the Croatian People's Party, who...
he won just 0.28% of the vote, finishing 7th, and was eliminated.
While not achieving much in the world of politics, Prkačin managed to remain in public spotlight by often appearing in various talk shows and being involved in Croatian entertainment industry. In 2001 he tried acting and played the role of a priest in a movie Polagana predaja.
In 2004, Prkačin was briefly in the public spotlight after two of his friends engaged in an urban gunfight in Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the...
because of a conflict between him and Mladen Kruljac, another officer from the Croatian war.
In January 2009, Prkačin testified as a witness before a court in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
regarding the 1999 assassination of Jozo Leutar, the then-Minister of Internal Affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
. Three months later, Ante Jelavić
Ante Jelavic
Ante Jelavić is a Croat politician and former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Jelavić was born in 1963 in Podprolog, Vrgorac, Croatia, then Yugoslavia, and was elected to the post as a candidate of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Ante Jelavić served as...
said Prkačin had implicated him and accused him of being a former member of Yugoslav secret service KOS.
In August 2009, one Sakib Balić, a former HOS soldier, publicly accused Prkačin of commanding HOS units that participated in the Sijekovac killings, when numerous Serb civilians were killed in the village of Sijekovac near Bosanski Brod
Bosanski Brod
Brod also known as Bosanski Brod is a town and municipality located on the south bank of the river Sava in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the north-western part of the Republika Srpska and the western part of the Posavina region.-Name:Prior to the Bosnian War it...
in 1992. The same accusation was echoed by one Ane Mihajlović, a veteran from the Army of Republika Srpska
Army of Republika Srpska
The Army of Republika Srpska ; Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian Vojska Republike Srpske ) also referred to as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of today's Republika Srpska which was then the "Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina", a self-proclaimed state within the internationally recognized...
, at the event in May 2010 when Ivo Josipović
Ivo Josipović
Ivo Josipović is a Croatian politician who has been President of Croatia since 2010. Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communists of Croatia , and played a key role in the democratic transformation of this party as the author of the first statute of the SDP that replaced the...
and Sulejman Tihić
Sulejman Tihic
Sulejman Tihić is a Bosniak politician, a leading member of Party of Democratic Action .Tihić was born in the town of Bosanski Šamac in northern Bosnia. He obtained a degree in Law from the University of Sarajevo...
visited the site to pay respect to around fifty civilian victims of the March 1992 events. The site and the visit provoked some controversy in the Croatian public, with allegations of impropriety levelled against President Josipović and the authorities of Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
.
In 2011 Prkačin returned to Croatian Party of Rights
Croatian Party of Rights
The Croatian Party of Rights is a right-wing political party in Croatia. The "right" in the party's name refer to the idea of Croatian national and ethnic rights that the party has vowed to protect since its founding in the 19th century...
.