Svetozar Marović
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| Term of Office: | March 7, 2003 – Present |
| Predecessor: | Vojislav Koštunica |
| Date of Birth: | March 31, 1955 |
| Place of Birth: | Kotor, Montenegro; Yugoslavia |
| Profession: | Lawyer |
| Political Party: | DPS |
Svetozar Marović (Светозар Маровић; born March 31, 1955 in Kotor) is a lawyer and a politician. He's the current President of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro.
Marovic was merely born in Kotor since that was the closest town along Montenegrin coast with a maternity ward, and considers Budva as his hometown. He grew up there, and ever since his career in high politics took off, his extended family is one of the most affluent in Budva.
He received his degree at Titograd's (now Podgorica) Faculty of Law.
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Ongoing role in Montenegrin politics
In 1990, he became a member of Montenegro's parliament, and later served as its speaker for three terms.
He is a co-founder and current vice-president of the ruling Montenegrin party Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro which inherited the Communist party of Montenegro. Throughout his decade and a half in high politics he's been a loyal supporter of Milo Đukanović in all of his policies.
In 2001, former Montenegrin president Momir Bulatović released a tell-all memoir named Pravila ćutanja (The Rules of Keeping Silent), accusing Marović, among many others, of accepting large financial compensation in return for turning a blind eye to wide-spread oil and tobacco smuggling in Montenegro during 1990s. Marović and Bulatović are former longtime party colleagues. In addition to former close friendship they also share an even more intimate bond through the godfather relations between their families.
Despite living in close proximity, as well as sharing many personal and political connections, but perhaps not surprisingly, the two have not spoken to each other in almost a decade.
In the book, Bulatović describes a private conversation during the 1990s in which he confronted Marovic about the corruption and quotes his answer: "You see, Momir, you're the first ever President of Montenegro - that's the legacy you're passing on to your children. Me, I want something more concrete to leave my kids with."
Marović never responded directly to these claims, mentioning only that he hasn't read the book and punningly adding that he was taught some other rules - "like the rule of keeping silent about untruth and slander".[1]
Serbia-Montenegro Presidential term 2003-
As the head of Serbia and Montenegro's loose state union, the personal position Marovic finds himself in is very bizarre and even a bit absurd. Namely, he is the president of the country whose very existence is something that the party of which he's a vice-president (DPS) strives to end. Seeing as how DPS is the leading force in Montenegrin separatist movement and his party president Milo Djukanovic a public face of the part of Montenegro pushing to end the union, it is very hard to imagine how Marovic reconciles those views with his duties of furthering union's interests in the role of its President.
Started on March 7, 2003, Marović's term in office as President of Serbia-Montenegro has so far been marked by his apologies to Croatian and Bosnian citizens as well as his involvement in the military equipment scandal that erupted in September 2005.
Apologies
On September 10, 2003, during Croatian president Stjepan Mesić's state visit to Belgrade, Marović delivered a public apology for "all evils done by any citizen of Montenegro and Serbia to anyone in Croatia."[2] Mesić immediately followed suit, delivering a general counter-apology to "anyone whom citizens of Croatia caused any pain or damage, anytime, anyplace." [3]
This was particularly significant as far as Marović is concerned because it was in stark contrast to his views from the beginning of 1990s when he was the author of an infamous phrase: "war for peace," which is how he described and justified the Montenegrin reservists' assault on Dubrovnik and Konavle in 1991.
November 13, 2003, he visited Sarajevo and issued another apology, this time to citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina on behalf of citizens of Serbia-Montenegro, for "any evil or calamity that anyone in Bosnia-Herzegovina suffered at the hands of anyone from Serbia-Montenegro".[4] Unlike Stipe Mesić few months prior, Marović's Sarajevo hosts, members of Bosnia's 3-man rotating Presidency weren't moved to reciprocate with any kind of an apology.
Military equipment scandal
On September 1, 2005, Serbian Minister of Finance Mladjan Dinkic called a press conference to publicly show a military contract signed by Svetozar Marovic. It was a 5-year arrangement between Serbia-Montenegro's Council of Ministers and Mile Dragic Company of Zrenjanin, stipulating terms of equipment supply to the Army of Serbia-Montenegro (VSCG) for the period between 2006 and 2011. Dinkic revealed: "Among other things, 69,000 helmets were ordered as well as more than 60,000 body armour suits for an Army that numbers 28,000 people!? Also 500 fighter pilot jackets for a fleet of barely 30 planes!"[5]
While the brunt of the responsibility was leveled at Minister of Defense Prvoslav Davinic, Marovic was called out for signing and thus legitimizing such an obviously inflated contract that would end up costing the taxpayers of Serbia €296 million.
After budget commission confirmed Dinkic's allegations he went further on September 15, 2005, saying "it's completely clear Marovic and Davinic were fully in the know about everything that went on" and also implicated several more defense ministry and army officials.[6]
Davinic eventually resigned, the damaging contract was revoked, but Marovic fought back in a written release accusing Dinkic of "libel and destroying state union's institutions". The statement continued: "As state union's president I'm responsible for everything. They should not blame anybody, they should not sue anybody, and they should not judge anybody - but me. Because of that, they should submit everything they have against me. But neither to their party investigators, nor to domestic courts they're squeezing with their temporary ministerial careers. Let them submit everything they have and more to the best, most experienced, most competent, highest paid and best regarded European and world investigators and courts and they will get an answer - that Svetozar Marovic is a clean and honest man."
Over the next few days, members of Marovic's cabinet, Montenegrin regime officials, as well as PM Milo Djukanovic himself were all threatening with pulling all Montenegrin staff from Belgrade.[7][8]
When the dust somewhat settled, Dinkic announced that "budget inspection met many obstructions within Ministry of Defense during the investigation" but that it's determined "to close the issue and put on trial those who are responsible". Whether those include Davinic and Marovic, Dinkic was less clear but agreed that "prosecutor's office should go as high up the chain of command as necessary".[9]
Personal life
Svetozar Marović is married to Đina Prelević. They have two grown children - son Milos and daughter Milena.
Marović's son Milos, a professional volleyball player with Budvanska Rivijera, was in the news lately for his involvement in a scuffle that erupted during the New Year 2006 celebrations in Budva's Trocadero nightclub during a performance by Croatian superstar Severina Vuckovic.
