Fahrudin Radončić

Fahrudin Radončić (pronounced [rǎdoːnt͡ʃit͡ɕ]; born 24 May 1957 in Montenegro then Yugoslavia) is a Bosnian businessman and politician. He is the owner of the Dnevni Avaz newspaper and president of the Union for a Better Future of BiH, which is currently the second strongest political party in the Federation BiH. He also served as a minister of security of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2012 and 2014. Elected into the Bosniak Caucus of the House of Peoples of BiH in January 2015.

Career

Radončić was raised in the town of Plav in Montenegro. In 1988, he was relieved from the position of executive secretary, because he characterized through print media that politics led by Slobodan Milošević were Nazi and criminal. He was also issued a summons and prosecuted. In 1989, he started to work as a journalist and an analyst for the Zagreb weekly magazine Danas. Circulation of the magazine was at nearly 300,000 and it focused on sovereignty of ex-Yugoslav republics, as well as focusing against politics of Milošević and Franjo Tuđman.

In 1990, Radončić wrote 10,000 days of slavery, a book focusing on the subject of a sovereign Kosovo.^[1] Publishing of this book has caused terrible anger of official Belgrade and Serbian and Montenegrin media.^[1] He was a friend of the late Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova, and enjoys a friendship with other Kosovo intellectuals and politicians. In the same year, he also wrote a series of texts arguing the statehood and a right to a sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the same series of texts he also argued for the same in case of Montenegro.

Business

Dnevni Avaz and other media ventures

In 1991 he established a publishing company named "Avaz".

From 1992 through 1993, while a member of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he felt the need for a printed journal in form of a cultural reaction and resistance to the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina. In October 1993, while stationed and living in besieged Sarajevo, he launched a weekly publication of a journal named Bošnjački avaz (English: Bosniak Voice). The first texts published in this magazine, dated 15 November 1993, he strongly opposed to the division of B&H and creating of a "Bosniak republic".^[1]

In 1995, through his publishing inc. company he launched the Dnevni avaz (Eng: Daily Voice). Its daily circulation is 50,000 and its website records in excess of over 600,000 hits on a daily basis. In 1995, Radončić also launched several other papers, including: Magazine Azra, weekly papers Express, Sport Avaz and ten other print media publications. He is also the owner of TV Alfa.^[1]

Construction business

In 2000, Radončić built one of the first office space buildings in post-war Sarajevo. The building is currently the headquarters building of the Hypo Alpe Adria Bank.

In 2004, Radončić built the first post-war modern architectural building, a five-star hotel called "Radon Plaza Hotel". The hotel has the first rotating restaurant in the region.^[2] In 2007, Radončić received an award from the municipal leadership of Canton of Sarajevo for the architectural significance and achievement in building the Radon Plaza Hotel.^[1]

In 2009, Radončić built a 40-floor Avaz Twist Tower office space building. Its architectural attributes include its 175-metre height and its modern architectural structure that has already become a popular tourist attraction in Sarajevo.^[1] Construction of such grandiose buildings has put Radončić among the most successful construction businessmen in post-war BH history.^[1]

Politics

Personal conviction and practice

Radončić always strongly opposed hegemonist politics of Belgrade and Zagreb in both his publications and public appearances. He was always strongly committed to full BH sovereignty and equal rights of three nations and all other citizens of this country. Also, he is the creator of the biggest media system in B&H after the war.

He is known pro-western orientation and utter conviction that BH should take part in Euro-Atlantic integration.^[1]

Experience prior to official candidacy in politics

As a media magnate and a person with important influence on Bosnian politics, Radončić tangibly participated in numerous important summits dealing with vital interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This includes his participation as a political consultant to domestic and foreign politicians during the signing of Dayton Peace Accords, when he was a member of group of intellectuals providing crucial advise and consultation to the late Alija Izetbegović, first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[1] Furthermore, owning up to the position of a media magnate, Radončić often provided support to international representatives in promoting laws aimed at integrating various aspects of BH policies and institutions, i.e.: the law on unification of armed forces of BiH; the law on adoption of a single currency, etc.

By entering the political stage, officially announced on September 24, 2009^[3] Radončić announced the creation of his own political party, the Union for a Better Future of BiH.

Arrest

Radončić, Bakir Dautbašić, a government official and Bilsena Šahman were arrested on January 25 on charges for obstruction of justice. More than 75,000 people signed a petition within three days of the arrest calling for the release of Radončić, while most intellectuals and legal experts proclaimed the arrest as politically motivated.

References

External links

• Dnevni Avaz
• Union for a Better Future of BH