Milutin Stojković (Serbian Cyrillic: Милутин Стојковић; born 19 August 1942) is a retired Serbian academic and politician. He was a deputy prime minister of Serbia from 1997 to 1998 and has held leading positions in the parliaments of Vojvodina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). Stojković is a member of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS).

Early life and academic career

Stojković was born in the village of Mijatovac in the municipality of Ćuprija, in what was then the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia during the Axis occupation of Serbia in World War II. He grew up in the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Novi Sad's Faculty of Economics in Subotica in 1979 and a master's degree and Ph.D. from the same institution in 1985.[1] A specialist in mathematics and statistics, he has taught at several universities, including in Subotica.[2] He has published several books on statistics.

Stojković was one of the founding members of the higher medical school in Ćuprija and lectured there until 2014. In 2017, he was appointed to its board of directors.[3]

Politician

Stojković became politically prominent in the early-to-mid 1990s, when the political life of Serbia and Yugoslavia was dominated by the authoritarian rule of SPS leader and Serbian president Slobodan Milošević. During this time, Stojković was a Milošević loyalist.

President of the Vojvodina assembly

Stojković was elected to the Assembly of Vojvodina for Ruma's second division in the May 1992 provincial election, the first to be held after the return of multi-party democracy in 1990.[4] The SPS won a majority victory, and Stojković served as a government supporter. He was re-elected in the December 1992 provincial election, which was again won by the SPS, and served president of the assembly in the term that followed, from 1993 to 1997.[5][6]

Stojković also appeared in the twenty-sixth position (out of twenty-eight) on the SPS's electoral list for the Novi Sad division in the 1992 Serbian parliamentary election.[7] The list won nine seats in the division, and he was not given a mandate.[8] (From 1992 to 2000, Serbia's electoral law stipulated that one-third of parliamentary mandates would be awarded to candidates from successful lists in numerical order while the remaining two-thirds would be distributed amongst other candidates at the discretion of the sponsoring parties or alliances.[9] It was common practice for the latter mandates to be assigned out of order. Stojković could have been awarded a seat despite his list position, but this did not happen.)[10]

In 1993, facing complaints from farmers who received inadequate compensation for grain shipments, he argued that provincial authorities could not override harmful purchasing policy decisions made at the republic level in Belgrade. He was quoted as saying, "Although we are in power, we are practically powerless."[11]

Federal parliamentarian and deputy prime minister

1996–98

Stojković was elected to the Yugoslavian assembly's Council of Citizens (i.e., the lower house of parliament) in the 1996 Yugoslavian election, presumably for the Sremska Mitrovica division, which included Ruma and where a political alliance led by the SPS won two out of four seats.[12] The SPS's alliance won the election, and Stojković was chosen as leader of the party's caucus in the Council of Citizens.[13] In December 1996, he was named as chair of the committee for defence and security.[14]

He was appointed as one of Serbia's five deputy prime ministers in a cabinet shuffle on 11 February 1997, replacing fellow SPS member Slobodan Babić.[15]

In July 1997, the Yugoslavian parliament hastily elected Slobodan Milošević as Yugoslavian president. Stojković welcomed the outcome, saying that Milošević would "further contribute to the country's respect in the world."[16]

The SPS formed a new Serbian coalition government with the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and the Yugoslav Left (JUL) in March 1998, and Stojković was dropped from cabinet.[17]

Stojković supported the election of Momir Bulatović and Yugoslavian prime minister in May 1998, predicting he would be "a fighter against crime and corruption."[18]

In November 1998, Stojković led a delegation of the Yugoslavian assembly to the international secretariat of the European Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy.[19] Two months later, he led a delegation to a meeting of the interparliamentary assembly in Odesa on the Orthodox creed and post-industrial society.[20]

Kosovo War and NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

In December 1998, during the Kosovo War and in the buildup to the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, Stojković introduced a motion in the Chamber of Citizens condemning the United States of America for supporting "terrorists and separatists" seeking to create a Greater Albania.[21] On the day before the NATO bombing campaign began, he said, "I am convinced the Western power-wielders have finally realized that they cannot play with our country, because we will form a front to defend our sacred Kosovo-Metohija [...] We are prepared to defend what is ours at any cost. NATO will break its teeth on us. Serbia has never attacked anyone in its history, but those who attack her will certainly lose the war."[22] In April 1999, he responded to threats of a NATO ground invasion by saying, "Should NATO decide for this option, it will have to expect that thousands of people will be killed. They will then be sent back to NATO countries in coffins."[23]

On 10 June 1999, Stojković spoke at a conference on Slavic integration in Kyiv that was mostly attended by representatives of left-wing parties in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. He was described as receiving the loudest cheers at the event. Stojković described the entry of international peacekeeping forces into Kosovo as a moral victory for the Serbian people at the end of the Kosovo War.[24]

After the conflict

Stojković represented the SPS in multi-party discussions on the future of the Yugoslavian federation at the end of the Kosovo conflict. In mid-July 1999, he accused the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro of not presenting a platform on redefining relations within the federation.[25] In the same month, he represented the Yugoslavian parliament in discussions to join the Union State of Russia and Belarus.[26][27]

Somewhat unexpectedly, Stojković criticized Russian foreign affairs minister Igor Ivanov in March 2000, describing him as a "meddler" whose diplomacy threatened Yugoslavia's sovereignty. "We have not – nor shall in the future – authorize anyone to negotiate on behalf of our interests," he was quoted as saying. "If the diplomacy of Mr. Ivanov consists of fawning over the Americans, he may do so at the expense of Russian – not Serbian – national interests."[28] This notwithstanding, he took part in a Yugoslavian delegation to monitor the 2000 Russian presidential election later in the same month.[29]

In June 2000, he attended the thirty-third congress of the Communist Party of Ukraine.[30]

Stojković helped bring about changes to Yugoslavia's constitution in mid-2000 that allowed Slobodan Milošević to seek re-election as president.[31] During the parliamentary debates on this subject, he said that the SPS would "not tolerate individual deputies criticizing FRY President Slobodan Milosevic." He was quoted as saying, "While our president was creating, building, defending and in the end defended our fatherland, some federal deputies – together with Clinton, Blair, Cook, Chirac and Solana – were doing their utmost to destroy the country and make it prey to the criminals who had bombed us for 78 days."[32]

Stojković does not appear to have sought re-election in the 2000 Yugoslavian general election.

Since 2000

Slobodan Milošević was defeated by Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) candidate Vojislav Koštunica in the 2000 Yugoslavian presidential election. This was a watershed moment in the political life of Serbia and Yugoslavia.

Serbia's electoral laws were reformed in late 2000, such that all national assembly mandates were awarded to candidates on successful lists at the discretion of the sponsoring parties or coalitions, irrespective of numerical order.[33] Stojković appeared on the SPS's electoral lists in the parliamentary elections of 2000,[34] 2003,[35] 2007,[36] and 2008,[37] though he did not receive a mandate on any of these occasions. He served in the Ruma municipal assembly in the 2004–08 term.[38]

Serbia's electoral laws were again reformed in 2011, such that all mandates were awarded to candidates on successful lists in numerical order. Stojković appeared in the 159th position on the SPS alliance's list in the 2014 parliamentary election; election from this position was not a realistic prospect, and he was not elected when the list won forty-four mandates.[39]

Stojković also ran for the Ruma constituency seat in the 2004 and 2012 Vojvodina provincial elections. He was defeated both times.

Electoral record

Provincial (Vojvodina)

2012 Vojvodina provincial election: Ruma
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Nenad Borović (incumbent)Choice for a Better Vojvodina–Bojan Pajtic (Affiliation: Democratic Party)7,38928.8811,40551.67
Rada MaravićLet's Get Vojvodina Moving–Tomislav Nikolić (Serbian Progressive Party, New Serbia, Movement of Socialists, Strength of Serbia Movement) (Affiliation: Serbian Progressive Party)5,69422.2610,66748.33
Aleksandar MartinovićSerbian Radical Party5,19520.30
Milutin Hadži StojkovićSocialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS), United Serbia (JS), Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDP Serbia) (Affiliation: Socialist Party of Serbia)3,48613.63
Dejan BožićLeague of Social Democrats of Vojvodina–Nenad Čanak2,69510.53
Slobodan KosanovićU-Turn1,1264.40
Total25,585100.0022,072100.00
Source: [40]
2004 Vojvodina provincial election: Ruma
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Srđan NikolićSerbian Radical Party4,86333.308,88464.74
Vlatko RatkovićDemocratic Party–Boris Tadić1,95013.354,83935.26
Smilja LončarDemocratic Party of Serbia1,76712.10
Milutin StojkovićSocialist Party of Serbia1,64211.24
Ljiljana AvramovićG17 Plus8145.57
Steva LazarevićTogether for Vojvodina–Nenad Čanak7284.98
Milutin ŽivanovićStrength of Serbia Movement7094.85
Jovan AdnađevićUnited Peasant Party5693.90
Dušan StojanacCitizens' Group: Serbian People's Movement "Svetozar Miletić"5063.46
Mile DokmanovićSerbian Renewal Movement4082.79
Julijana GolčevskiCoalition: One for the Municipality of Ruma (Social Democracy of Ruma, Reformists of Vojvodina–Social Democratic Party of Ruma, People's Peasant Party of Ruma, Workers and Pensioners Party–SRP Ruma)3362.30
Milutin Trbović MišaNew Serbia–Union of Serbs of Vojvodina3122.14
Total14,604100.0013,723100.00
Valid votes14,60496.0413,72397.69
Invalid/blank votes6023.963242.31
Total votes15,206100.0014,047100.00
Registered voters/turnout15,206100.0014,047100.00
Source: [41]
December 1992 Vojvodina provincial election: Ruma Division 2
CandidateParty
Milutin Stojković (***WINNER***)Socialist Party of Serbia
other candidates
Total
Source: [42]
December 1992 Vojvodina provincial election: Ruma Division 2
CandidateParty
Milutin Stojković (***WINNER***)Socialist Party of Serbia
other candidates
Total
Source: [43]

References

  1. ↑ Dušan Bogdanović and Biljana Kovačević Vučo, Institutions Abused: Who Was Who in Serbia, 1987–2000, (Belgrade: Biljana Kovačević Vučo Fund), 2011, p. 263.
  2. ↑ "Partnerstvo za mir", NIN, 15 March 2001, accessed 5 August 2023.
  3. ↑ Z. Gligorijević and Z. Rašić, "Pismo, pa ostavke", Novosti, 8 February 2017, accessed 5 August 2023.
  4. ↑ Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине 31. маја и 14. јуна 1992. године, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 29 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине на превременим изборима одржаним 20. децембра 1992. године, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 29 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Dušan Bogdanović and Biljana Kovačević Vučo, Institutions Abused: Who Was Who in Serbia, 1987–2000, (Belgrade: Biljana Kovačević Vučo Fund), 2011, p. 264.
  7. ↑ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 20. и 27. децембра 1992. године и 3. јануара 1993. године – ЗБИРНЕ ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (6 Нови Сад), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 2 July 2021.
  8. ↑ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 20. и 27. децембра 1992. године и 3. јануара 1993. године – РЕЗУЛТАТИ ИЗБОРА (Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за народне посланике у Народну скупштину Републике Србије, одржаних 20. и 27. децембра 1992. године и 3. јануара 1993. године), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 2 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Guide to the Early Election Archived 2022-01-16 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Information of the Republic of Serbia, December 1992, made available by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, accessed 14 July 2017.
  10. ↑ Službeni Glasnik (Republike Srbije), Volume 49 Number 7 (25 January 1993), p. 194.
  11. ↑ Dimitrije Boarov, "To Sow but not to Reap", Vreme, 12 July 1993, accessed 5 August 2023.
  12. ↑ ИЗБОРИ '96: ВЕЋЕ ГРАЂАНА САВЕЗНЕ СКУПШТИНЕ, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Department of Statistics (1996), p. 45.
  13. ↑ Dušan Stojanović, "Serbia's Milosevic hastily elected Yugoslav president," Associated Press Newswires, 15 July 1997.
  14. ↑ Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-12-27, Hellenic Resources Network, accessed 5 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Michael Roddy, "Serbian parliament approves new government," Reuters News, 11 February 1997.
  16. ↑ Dušan Stojanović, "Serbia's Milosevic hastily elected Yugoslav president," Associated Press Newswires, 15 July 1997.
  17. ↑ "Serbia government list," Reuters News, 24 March 1998.
  18. ↑ "Momir Bulatovic izabran za saveznog premijera", Naša borba, 21 May 1998, accessed 5 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "Yugoslav news agency Tanjug schedule of events for 1 Nov 98," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 1 November 1998 (Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in English 1051 gmt 1 Nov 98).
  20. ↑ "Yugoslav news agency Tanjug schedule of events for 22 Jan 99," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 22 January 1999 (Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in English 0928 gmt 22 Jan 99).
  21. ↑ "Yugoslav parliament condemns US 'interference' and its support for 'terrorism'," British Broadcast Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 3 December 1998 (Source: Serbian Radio, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 2000 gmt 3 Dec 98).
  22. ↑ "Yugoslav official says 'NATO will break its teeth' on Serbia if it attacks," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 23 March 1999 (Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 1049 gmt 23 Mar 99).
  23. ↑ "Yugoslav official warns against NATO troop deployment - Slovak report," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 14 April 1999 (Source: Radio Twist, Bratislava, in Slovak 1000 gmt 14 Apr 99).
  24. ↑ "Russian, Ukrainian speakers call for Slavic integration in Kyiv," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring Former Soviet Union – Political, 10 June 1999 (Source: Ukrainian Television Third Programme, Kyiv, in Russian 1700 gmt 10 Jun 99).
  25. ↑ "Serbian ruling party says Montenegrin ruling party presented no specific policy," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 14 July 1999 (Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 1608 gmt 14 Jul 99).
  26. ↑ "Yugoslavia, Russia, Belarus to create joint commission," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring Newsfile, 31 July 1999 (Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in English 31 Jul 99).
  27. ↑ "Yugoslav delegation attends Union of Russia and Belarus parliament meeting," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 4 November 1999 (Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in English 2036 gmt 3 Nov 99).
  28. ↑ "Yugoslav Official Blasts Russia's Foreign Minister," Dow Jones International News, 14 March 2000.
  29. ↑ "Yugoslav delegation leaves to observe Russian presidential elections," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 25 March 2000 (Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in English 1428 gmt 25 Mar 00).
  30. ↑ "Serbian ruling party calls on Ukrainian comrades to join anti-fascist struggle," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 26 June 2000 (Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in English 1513 gmt 26 Jun 00).
  31. ↑ Misha Savić, "Parliament convenes to change constitution to prolong Milosevic's rule," Associated Press Newswires, 5 July 2000.
  32. ↑ "Serbian ruling party will not tolerate criticism of Milosevic - party official," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European – Political, 6 July 2000 (Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 1205 gmt 6 Jul 00).
  33. ↑ Serbia's Law on the Election of Representatives (2000) stipulated that parliamentary mandates would be awarded to electoral lists (Article 80) that crossed the electoral threshold (Article 81), that mandates would be given to candidates appearing on the relevant lists (Article 83), and that the submitters of the lists were responsible for selecting their parliamentary delegations within ten days of the final results being published (Article 84). See Law on the Election of Representatives, Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 35/2000, made available via LegislationOnline, accessed 28 February 2017.
  34. ↑ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 23. децембра 2000. године и 10. јануара 2001. године, ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (Демократска опозиција Србије – др Војислав Коштуница (3 Социјалистичка партија Србије – Слободан Милошевић), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 2 July 2021. He received the 227th position (out of 250) in the 2000 election. The list was mostly alphabetical.
  35. ↑ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 28. децембра 2003. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (9. СОЦИЈАЛИСТИЧКА ПАРТИЈА СРБИЈЕ - СЛОБОДАН МИЛОШЕВИЋ), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 14 August 2022. He received the 226th position in 2003. The list, again, was mostly alphabetical.
  36. ↑ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. јануара и 8. фебрауара 2007. године, ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (11 Социјалистичка партија Србије), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 10 July 2021. He received the twenty-fifth position in 2007.
  37. ↑ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 11. маја 2008. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (5 Социјалистичка партија Србије (СПС), - Партија уједињних пензионера Србије (ПУПС) - Јединствена Србија (ЈС)), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 15 February 2021. He received the 223rd position in 2008. Once again, the list was mostly alphabetical.
  38. ↑ Direktorijum lokalnih samouprava u Srbiji, Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CESID), September 2005, p. 294.
  39. ↑ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 16. и 23. марта 2014. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (2 ИВИЦА ДАЧИЋ - "Социјалистичка партија Србије (СПС), Партија уједињених пензионера Србије (ПУПС), Јединствена Србија (ЈС)"), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 21 August 2021.
  40. ↑ Резултати избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине по већинском изборном систему (44 Рума) (2012), Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 14 April 2018.
  41. ↑ Укупни резултати избора расписаних за 19. септембар 2004. године - већински изборни систем (44 РУМА), Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 20 December 2022.
  42. ↑ Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине на превременим изборима одржаним 20. децембра 1992. године, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 29 July 2021.
  43. ↑ Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине на превременим изборима одржаним 20. децембра 1992. године, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 29 July 2021.
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