Dragiša Pavlović

Dragiša Pavlović
Драгиша Павловић
Pavlović at the 8th Session in September 1987
Chairman of the City Committee of the League of Communists of Belgrade
In office 23 April 1986 – 24 September 1987
Preceded by	Slobodan Milošević
Succeeded by	Slobodanka Gruden (acting) Radoš Smiljković
Personal details
Born	(1943-10-05)5 October 1943 Kragujevac, Nazi-occupied Serbia
Died	9 September 1996(1996-09-09) (aged 52) Belgrade, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia
Political party	League of Communists of Yugoslavia (until 1987)
Alma mater	University of Belgrade (B.S., B.A., PhD)
Nickname	Buca

Dragiša "Buca" Pavlović (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгиша "Буца" Павловић; 5 October 1943 – 9 September 1996) was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician. He played the key role in opposition to Slobodan Milošević and his rise to power. Pavlović was the Chairman of the City Committee of the League of Communists of Belgrade from 23 April 1986 until his dismissal at the 8th Session on 24 September 1987.

Early life and career

Dragiša Pavlović was born on 5 October 1943 in Kragujevac, Nazi-occupied Serbia. His mother was a schoolteacher. During his youth, he performed arts and earned the nickname "Buca". He initially studied at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Belgrade, before moving to the Faculty of Economics where he earned his master’s degree in 1979. He received his doctorate in 1982 at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade.

Pavlović began his academic career at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Kragujevac, where he worked as a part-time lecturer on the "Socio-Economic System of SFRY" course. He also worked at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences of the University of Belgrade from 1973 to 1975, and again from 1979 to 1981.

Career

After moving from Kragujevac to Belgrade in the early 1980s, Pavlović entered politics and befriended Ivan Stambolić.

The situation in Kosovo, which does not improve with the desired and promised speed, creates a dangerous atmosphere where every word spoken against Serbian nationalism is perceived as nationalism. Incendiary words can only bring fire.

— Dragiša Pavlović,

This was seen as a critique of Milošević and party politics. Milošević denounced Pavlović as being soft on Albanian radicals, contrary to advice from President Ivan Stambolić. On 23–24 September 1987, at the subsequent eighth session of the Central Committee, one that lasted more than 20 hours, and was broadcast live on the state television, Milošević had Pavlović deposed, to the utter embarrassment of Ivan Stambolić; Stambolić was dismissed in December 1987. His dismissal marked the rise of Slobodan Milošević.

Pavlović was a social democrat.

Personal life

Pavlović died on 9 September 1996, aged 52. His funeral was attended by only a few relatives and close friends, among them being Stambolić.

Pavlović was a co-author and author of four books in total. His last book, Lightly promised speed, is about the 8th Session.

References

Bibliography

• Kurspahić, Kemal (2003). Prime Time Crime: Balkan Media in War and Peace. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press. ISBN 978-1-929223-39-8.
• LeBor, Adam (2003). Milosevic: A Biography. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-6181-1.
• Nikolić, Kosta (2006). "Kako je Slobodan Milošević izabran za vođu srpskih komunista (II)" [How did Slobodan Milošević get elected as the leader of Serbian Communists (II)]. Istorija 20. veka (in Serbian) (2). ISSN 0352-3160.
• Grdešić, Marko (2019). The Shape of Populism: Serbia before the Dissolution of Yugoslavia. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-12519-7.

News sources

• Mihovilović, Maroje (2 April 2003). "Milošević's greatest betrayal: How Milošević killed his best friend". Nacional. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
• Hall, Richard Andrew (28 May 2003). "East European Perspectives: May 28, 2003". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
• Stevanović, Vidosav (18 August 2010). "Svedočanstva o sramnom vremenu" [Shameful time testimonies]. Vreme (in Serbian). Retrieved 22 August 2024.
• Milošević, Milan (13 September 2018). "1987 – Trenutak istine Dragiše Pavlovića" [1987 – Dragiša Pavlović's Moment of Truth]. Vreme (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
• Milošević, Milan (24 December 2019). "Dragiša Pavlović (1943–1996)". Vreme (in Serbian). No. 308. Retrieved 22 August 2024.

Works

• Integracija i tehnologija: prostori i granice [Integration and technology: spaces and boundaries] (in Serbian). 1981. OCLC 40986856.
• Ko radnike povezuje lažnim koncima [Who connects the workers with false strings] (in Serbian). Belgrade: BIGZ. 1984. OCLC 13661873.
• Pitanjem na odgovore [By questioning the answers] (in Serbian). Belgrade: BIGZ. 1986. ISBN 9788613000761.
• Olako obećana brzina [Lightly promised speed] (in Serbian). Zagreb: Globus. 1988. ISBN 9788634304862.