Скачать или смотреть Cedomir Jovanovic for ELDR Vice President

Čedomir Jovanović

Born on 13 April 1971 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Graduated drama at the Department of film, TV scenario and dramaturgy at the Faculty of Drama Arts, Belgrade University. During his studies he worked as a journalist with several Belgrade media.

He was one of the organizers of the student protest against election fraud as of 1996-1997. During the 130 days protest, Jovanović was arrested and beaten up several times. From 1998 on, as an already established political and opposition figure, he joined the Democratic Party and in October 2001became its Vice-President.

Jovanović participated in the crucial election campaigns in September and December of 2000, when Slobodan Milosevic was finally ousted. He played the vital role of DS and DOS central election headquarters chief.

At the elections of December 2000 he was elected member of the Parliament of the Republic of Serbia. From January 2001 to March 2003 he served as Majority Chairman of the parliamentary group DOS (DOS reforms for Serbia). He was by far the youngest Serbian politician to hold that position in Serbian history.

During this period, he undertook several high-risk assignments for the late Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. Inter alia, he was responsible, at sizable personal risk, for negotiations leading to Slobodan Milosevic's surrender and imprisonment in March 2001, and his subsequent extradition to The Hague to face charges at the International War Crimes Tribunal. Meanwhile, he was shot at by Milosevic's daughter Marija on the way out of the house.

Several months later, in November, Jovanović put stop to a rebellion of a renegade Special Operations Unit JSO who ostensibly demanded the end to cooperation with The Hague tribunal but in reality wanted to topple the government. The standoff took three days and of all the cabinet ministers (Djindjic being out of the country) it was yet again only the youngest -- Jovanović who had the guts to venture into their base and will the battle-hardened veterans back into their barracks.

His biggest test came on March 12, 2003 when the Serbian mafia, including some members of the JSO, and backed by vengeful Milosevic's supporters, finally assassinated Djindjic. That the Serbian government did not collapse but instead within several hours rallied to counter-attack the criminals, it is thanks only to Jovanović and but a few other associates. This in turn won him the top spot on the mafia's hit list and he managed to escape several attempts at his life.

Late March 2003 he became the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia. His chief assignments were political and economic reforms, and notably he chaired the Council for European Integration. He had also played a pivotal role in getting off the ground the new state of Serbia and Montenegro.

In December 2003, the hopes for speedy reforms in Serbia were dashed when Vojislav Kostunica and his made-over nationalists came to power. The second blow was delivered in February 2004 when Jovanovic clashed with Boris Tadic, backed by conservatives in the Democratic Party, over the speed and scope of reforms. Where Tadic was prepared to compromise with nationalists, which he indeed did over the next three years, Jovanovic urged uncompromising showdown with Milosevic look-alikes and speedy and comprehensive reforms. Jovanović formed his Liberal Democratic faction within the Democratic Party but eventually lost the battle and was thrown out in early 2005.

In November 2005, Cedomir founded and since then has led the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He`s been an MP and the LDP caucus leader since 2007 and the main proponent of liberal reforms, Serbia's accession to the EU and NATO and reconciliation and cooperation in the SEE region

Today LDP is the parliamentary party in constant rising.

He is married, with four children.