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Dragan Čović (pronounced [drǎgan t͡ʃǒːʋit͡ɕ]; born 20 August 1956) is a Bosnian Croat politician and leader of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) party.

Biography

Dragan Čović was born in Mostar. He attended elementary school and technical high school of mechanical engineering in Mostar and graduated in 1975. After high school he entered Faculty of Engineering at Džemal Bijedić University in Mostar and graduated in 1979 gaining a title of mechanical engineer. In 1989 he employed in SOKO company in Mostar, where he, from 1980 until 1986 worked in technology and control sections. From 1986 until 1992 he done various manager duties, he was a director of business unit, director of production and vice president for industrialization. Čović gained master's degree in 1989 at Faculty of Engineering also in Mostar, and from 1989 till 1991 he attended studies of management at Faculty of Economy at the University of Sarajevo. From 1992 until 1998 he was general director of SOKO. He gained PhD at University of Mostar in 1996.

From 1994 until 1996 he worked also as senior assistant on subject Economics and organization of production at Faculty of Engineering in Mostar, after which he was named assistant professor on subject Development of production systems. Four years later he gained title of associate professor and in 2004 he was a full professor of the University of Mostar. As of 2002, he is professor at the Faculty of Economy in Mostar and also teaches in regular and postgraduate studies, and as of 2007 he is also professor at the University of Philosophy in Mostar.

Political career

In 1994, Čović become member of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ). Two years later, he become member of the cantonal committee of HDZ, and in 1997 he become president of the city committee of HDZ in Mostar. A year later, he become vice president of HDZ and in 2005 he was elected a president.

From 1998 until 2001 Čović was deputy prime minister and minister of finance in the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the general election in 2002 he was elected member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 114,606 votes. He was Presidency member until 29 March 2005 when he was removed from office by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown. He was removed because Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed an indictment for abuse of power and position and Ashdown rated this as athreat to the reputation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In November 2006 Čović was sentenced for 5 years in prison because of the indictment which accused him that he acquitted Lijanović company of paying tax on import of meat. In June Appeal Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected the sentence because of the incompetence of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Again, in 2009, Čović was accused once more, this time because of his decision about expenditure of funds for the purchase of dwellings for certain persons. In April 2010, court acquitted him of guilt. On 14 May 2010, a third indictment for Čović and other six persons was confirmed by the Court of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC), this time for abuse of power and position. He was accused that he, with other committee members of the Croatian Post and Telecom (HPT) made a decision to transfer the debt of near 4,7 million Convertibile Marks owned to the already non-existing Ministry of Defence of the Croatian Defence Council to three private companies. By the debt collection, those three companies become owners of the shares in Eronet, the most profitable telecommunicational section of the HPT. At the time, Čović was Federal Minister of Finance and president of the Steering Committee of the HPT. Court of the HNC asked that this case be brought in front of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Supreme Court of the Federation decided that case must be solved in Mostar. In May 2012, Čović was released from guilt.

In May 2011 he become member of the House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in February 2012 he was named Chairman of the House of Peoples.

External links and references

Template:Persondata

• 1956 births
• Bosnia and Herzegovina Roman Catholics
• Chairmen of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina politicians
• Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Living people
• People from Mostar
• Chairmen of the House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Members of the House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina