Momir Bulatović facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Momir Bulatović Момир Булатовић
Bulatović in October 2015
3rd Prime Minister of the FR Yugoslavia
In office 19 May 1998 – 4 November 2000
President	Slobodan Milošević Vojislav Koštunica
Preceded by	Radoje Kontić
Succeeded by	Zoran Žižić
1st President of the Republic of Montenegro
In office 23 December 1990 – 15 January 1998
Prime Minister	Milo Đukanović
Preceded by	Branko Kostić (as President of the Presidency)
Succeeded by	Milo Đukanović
Personal details
Born	(1956-09-21)21 September 1956 Belgrade, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia
Died	30 June 2019(2019-06-30) (aged 62) Raći, Podgorica Municipality, Montenegro
Nationality	Montenegrin
Political party	SKJ (1980s–1991) DPS (1991–1997) SNP (1997–2001) NSS (2001–2009) NSD (2009-2019)
Alma mater	University of Montenegro
Profession	Economist, politician

Momir Bulatović (Serbian Cyrillic: Момир Булатовић; born September 21, 1956 – died June 30, 2019) was an important politician from Yugoslavia and Montenegro. He was the first President of the Republic of Montenegro from 1990 to 1998. After that, he became the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1998 until 2000. This was when Slobodan Milošević was removed from power.

Bulatović was a leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro from 1989 to 1997. He left the party after a disagreement with Milo Đukanović. During his time as President of Montenegro, he was involved in the use of Montenegrin soldiers in the Yugoslav People's Army during the siege of Dubrovnik and the Bosnian War. An international court later looked into his actions during these wars, but he was not charged. He also spoke as a witness in trials at the international court for Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić, and Nikola Šainović.

Early Life and Education

Momir Bulatović was born in Belgrade, which was then part of Yugoslavia. His father was an officer in the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and came from Montenegro. Because of his father's job, his family moved often around Yugoslavia. When Momir was five, they moved to Zadar in Croatia, where he finished his primary and secondary schooling.

In 1975, at age 18, Bulatović moved to Podgorica (then called Titograd). He studied at the University of Montenegro's Faculty of Economics. He had wanted to study in Belgrade, but his family could not afford it. After graduating, he became an assistant at the same university. He soon earned a master's degree.

Political Beginnings

In November 1988, while working at the Faculty of Economics in Podgorica, Bulatović became a leader in the League of Communists of Montenegro. After a time of big political changes in January 1989, he was promoted to lead the League of Communists of Montenegro.

As Yugoslavia began to break apart, Bulatović became President of Montenegro. He served in this role from December 23, 1990, to January 15, 1998. During this time, he was a strong supporter of Slobodan Milošević. He oversaw the involvement of Montenegrin soldiers in the Yugoslav People's Army during the wars in Croatia and Bosnia.

In 1990, Bulatović supported Milošević's idea to change how the Communist party voted. This change would give more power to Serbs. Montenegro also supported Serbia in disagreeing with Slovenia's ideas to give more power to the different republics. The communist groups from Slovenia and Croatia left the party. They felt Milošević was trying to give Serbs too much control. As the League of Communists fell apart, Bulatović helped make Montenegro a multi-party democracy. He formed the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) with other former communists.

President of Montenegro (1990–1998)

The Siege of Dubrovnik

On October 1, 1991, Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, a British diplomat, visited Podgorica (Titograd). He asked Bulatović if the city of Dubrovnik was in danger from the Yugoslav People's Army. Bulatović promised Carrington that Dubrovnik would not be attacked. However, just hours later, Bulatović met with Yugoslav Army generals. He then told a staff member that "30,000 Ustashe" (a term for Croatian nationalists) were coming from Dubrovnik to take the Bay of Kotor. He said a quick response was needed.

Bulatović later took part in trying to make Dubrovnik part of Montenegro. He claimed it had historical ties to Montenegro. After the war, Bulatović said the attack on Dubrovnik was "the only way to prevent the conflict from spreading into Montenegro." But he also said the military gave his government "false information."

Peace Talks and Referendum

The attack on Dubrovnik had serious effects on Yugoslavia's standing in the world. The European Economic Community invited leaders from Yugoslavia to peace talks in The Hague in October 1991. They proposed a "loose federation of independent states." This idea was not liked by Milošević, who wanted a strong, central Yugoslavia.

To everyone's surprise, Bulatović agreed to these terms. He even signed a draft of the plan. He argued it would protect Montenegro's interests and end the Yugoslav Wars. His signature meant Montenegro could legally leave Yugoslavia. This caused a big disagreement with the Yugoslav leaders in Belgrade. Bulatović claimed the plan offered Montenegro the Prevlaka peninsula and promised no international penalties. He also said Montenegro was offered a lot of aid from Western countries.

However, a political party in Montenegro accused Bulatović of treason. Milo Đukanović defended him. Bulatović told the parliament, "if being a servant and accepting everything from Belgrade is the way to govern Montenegro, then this nation doesn't need a government." Later, Bulatović met with Milošević. As a result, Milošević added a condition: a republic could stay in Yugoslavia if its people voted for it. This led to the 1992 Montenegrin independence referendum. Voters in Montenegro decided to remain part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Challenges with Muslim Communities

As the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina continued, Bulatović faced issues in Montenegro. In the summer of 1992, Muslims in Pljevlja faced threats and violence. A local leader named Milika "Čeko" Dačević threatened to "declare war" on Pljevlja. More than half of the local police joined Dačević's group. Other armed groups also helped block off the town.

On August 7, 1992, Bulatović, Đukanović, and other leaders came to Pljevlja to talk. A representative from the Muslim community asked Bulatović to control the borders better. This would stop Serbian armed groups from Bosnia from entering Montenegro. Bulatović promised to try to disarm the groups and send more Yugoslav Army soldiers to patrol the town. He also asked the local Muslims not to seek their own separate area.

Despite these promises, the Muslim community in Pljevlja continued to suffer. Six Muslim residents were killed in the village of Bukovica between 1992 and 1995. Also, Muslim family members were kidnapped in Pljevlja in February 1993. Bulatović later announced their release.

In May 1993, Bulatović took part in talks for the Vance-Owen Plan in Athens. He, along with Milošević, pressured Radovan Karadžić to sign the plan. Karadžić signed it, but the parliament of Republika Srpska later rejected it. The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina continued for two more years.

Losing the Presidency

In July 1997, the DPS chose Milica Pejanović-Đurišić to replace Bulatović as party president. This split in the party led to a political fight between Đukanović and Bulatović. In the 1997 Montenegrin presidential election in October, Đukanović won by a small number of votes. Bulatović claimed the United States had helped Đukanović win.

On January 14, 1998, Bulatović led a large protest at Đukanović's inauguration in Podgorica. The police faced the protesters, and 44 police officers and four civilians were hurt. On March 21, 1998, Bulatović left the DPS and helped start a new party, the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro (SNP).

Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (1998–2000)

On May 21, 1998, Bulatović was named the new Prime Minister of Yugoslavia. He replaced Radoje Kontić. On March 23, 1999, he signed a declaration of a state of war when NATO began bombing Yugoslavia. He resigned on October 9, 2000, shortly after Milošević was removed from power.

Later Life and Legacy

Momir Bulatović stepped back from politics in 2001. His son, Boško, died at age 21 in 2008 after a short illness.

In 2017, Bulatović joined protests against Montenegro joining NATO. He was last seen in public at the funeral of Mirjana Marković in April 2019.

Bulatović passed away on June 30, 2019, at his family home near Podgorica. He was 62 years old. A close friend said he likely had a heart attack. Many people remember him as a politician who fought for his beliefs. Others, including some at the international court, saw him as a partner to Milošević during the wars in the 1990s.

See also

In Spanish: Momir Bulatović para niños