Zoran Djindjic, Zoran Ðinđić or in Cyrillic Зоран Ђинђић, (August 1, 1952 - March 12, 2003) was Serbian prime minister, opposition politician and philosopher by profession.

Djindjic was born in Bosanski Šamac, a town on Sava river in northern Bosnia. His father Dragomir was officer of Yugoslavian army. His mother Mila was a hostess. Djindjic had one older sister - Gordana. Djindjic took an interest in politics while a student at the University of Belgrade.

A pro-reformist socialist, Djindjic was imprisoned for several months after he tried, along with other students from Croatia and Slovenia, to establish a non-communist student organisation. Released from jail, he continued his studies in Germany under professor Jürgen Habermas in Frankfurt. In 1979 he obtained a Ph.D. in philosophy from the university of Konstanz. He spoke German with perfection. His English was of a moderate level.

In 1989 Djindjic returned to Yugoslavia to take up a teaching post at Novi Sad University, and together with other Serb dissidents he founded the Democratic Party. He became Chairman of the Executive Board of the party in 1990, and was elected to the Parliament of Serbia in the same year. In 1993 he became the President of the Democratic Party. Following the collapse of the short-lived coalition "Zajedno" (Together) with Vuk Drašković's SPO and Vesna Pešić 's GSS, Djindjic registered as a separate candidate. After a massive series of public protest s over rigged elections, Djindjic became Mayor of Belgrade in 1997, the first non-communist mayor to hold that post since the Second World War.

During the NATO bombing campaign of Serbia, Djindjic sought safety and fled to temporary exile in Montenegro because of information provided to him by Arkan that he was at the top of the assassination list of Milosevic's secret service. Before long, he left for Western countries, visiting Gerhard Schröder and Bill Clinton. Photo of his handshake with Clinton at time of bombing was used by Milosevic's propaganda which portrayed him as traitor. Upon his return to the country in July 1999, Djindjic was brought to a rigged trial, closed for the public, for endangering state security. In September 1999 Djindjic was named by magazine TIME as one of most relevant politicians for 21st century.

Djindjic played a prominent role in the Presidential elections of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in September 2000 and in the October 5 uprising that overthrew the Milosevic's regime, and then led the broad-based 18-party Democratic Opposition of Serbia coalition to an overwhelming victory at the Serbian elections of December 2000. He became Premier of Serbia on January 25, 2001. He played a key role in sending former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia Slobodan Milosevic to the UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. However, Djindjic became disillusioned with the protracted trial of Milosevic, and later condemned it as an expensive "circus". Djindjic said the court in The Hague was "allowing Milosevic to behave like a demagogue and to control the trial".

Djindjic was received favourably by Western nations. His meetings with western leaders George Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and others strongly indicated that the West supported his politics. Djindjic had constant disagreements with federal president Vojislav Kostunica. On the other hand, he had a close relationship with Montenegrin president Milo Djukanovic.

On August 7, 2001, Djindjic headed a delegation that met with Bill Gates, in Redmond, becoming the first head of state to pay an official visit to Microsoft. Djindjic and Gates discussed the modernization of Serbian public services, and agreed that Serbia would become Microsoft's strategic partner and that Belgrade would become Microsoft's main residence and software representative center for the underdeveloped region of Balkans. Nothing has come of this initiative thus far.

Assassination

Djindjic was assassinated in Belgrade on the stairway of the main Serbian government building on March 12, 2003, 12:23 PM. Shot once in the chest, a high-power bullet penetrated his heart and killed him instantly. His bodyguard Milan Veruović was also seriously wounded in stomach by another shot. Djindjic's alleged Assassin, police specialist Zvezdan Jovanović , called Zveki , had fired the bullets by sniper scope from a nearby building window. Jovanovic, codenamed Snake, was born in 1965 in Pec, Kosovo. He had been a member of the feared paramilitary unit, the Red Berets, and held the police rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Jovanovic was active in the series of Serbian wars in the 1990s.

According to the official government statement, Djindjic was not conscious and did not have a pulse upon arriving at the emergency ward. He had made many enemies for his pro-Western stance, reformist policies which had seen unemployment rise to over 30%, for arresting Milosevic, for relinquishing him to The Hague, and for clamping down on organized crime. The murder was allegedly organised by Milorad Ulemek , an ex-Commander of the special police, also known as Legija , who ordered Jovanovic to carry out the assassination. Legija was connected with the powerful Zemun clan of Serbian mafia, blamed for planning of assassination. Vojislav Šešelj, ultra-nationalist and foe of Djindjic, was suspected to have played a role in inspiring the assassination plot.

Natasa Micic, then acting President of Serbia, declared a state of emergency immediately following the shooting. Zoran Zivkovic was elected by the Serbian Democratic Party as Djindjic's successor. However after new parliament elections Boris Tadic was appointed president of the party.

Djindjic was married to Ružica and had two children with his wife. Daughter Jovana born in 1990 and son Luka born in 1992.

His solemn state procession and funeral on March 15, 2003 was attended by hundreds of thousands of ordinary people as well as by foreign delegations. Djindjic's death represents political and moral tragedy to millions of Serbs who saw in him statesman of hope who guaranteed peaceful coexistence with neighboring nations, prosperity and integration to Europe and rest of world, economic recovery and brighter future.

Quotes

“If someone in Serbia thinks the law and the reforms can be stopped by eliminating me, then he is in a huge delusion. Serbia will continue to live on, and proceed that path with or without me, because I myself am not the regime.” Politika 21st February 2003 and Glas Javnosti 24th February 2003.

In Serbian: “Ако неко мисли да ће зауставити спровођење закона тиме што ће мене уклонити онда се грдно вара, јер ја нисам систем. Систем ће функционисати и даље и нико неће добити амнестију за злочине тако што ће уклонити једног или два функционера државе.” Политика 21. фебруар 2003. и Глас Јавности 24. фебруар 2003. године.

External links

• News story on assassination - CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/03/12/djindjic_dead030312
• BBC News: Obituary by Gabriel Partos http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2843451.stm
• Freely downloadable documentary containing parts of Djindjic's speeches (without editorials). In Serbian. http://www.ako-srbija-stane.co.sr/