Novak Kilibarda
| Novak Kilibarda | |
|---|---|
| Deputy Prime Minister | |
|
In office 16 July 1998 – 4 July 2000 | |
| Prime Minister | Filip Vujanović |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
|
In office 20 December 1992 – 31 May 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Ljubiša Stanković |
| Succeeded by | Momir Bulatović |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
7 January 1934 Banjani, Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
| Political party |
NS (1990–2000) NS CG (2000–2006) |
| Alma mater | University of Belgrade |
| Profession | Literary historian |
| Religion | Montenegrin Orthodox Church |
Novak Kilibarda (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Новак Килибарда) is a politician, writer and activist from Montenegro.
Kilibarda joined politics early on, the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Montenegrin branch), very early climbing into its leading ranks, including the position of a parliamentary MP of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro. After publishing a literary work which mentioned a song to glory of Krsto Zrnov Popović, a national enemy, he was expelled from all Party and Republic positions and lost Party membership in 1971. He was also replaced in the position of Director of the Pedagogy Academy. Veljko Milatović was against firing him from the position of professor altogether, so that did not happen. This has led to Kilibarda acquiring a strong anti-Communist position and sliding into pro-Serbian attitude.
In the late 1980s the Serb nationalist movements were strengthening in SR Montenegro. In 1990 with arrival of multiparliamentarism Montenegrin intellectuals gathered around Novak Kilibarda and formed the People's Party of Montenegro, claiming heritage from the old People's Party from the beginnings of the 20th century in the Montenegrin realm.
Kilibarda became a fierce opposer of Slobodan Milošević claiming his work is against national interests. It is so that he, altogether with leader of Liberal Alliance of Montenegro, Slavko Perović, formed a coalition The people's concord ("Narodna sloga"). Later, he joined DPS and SDP in Đukanović's So that we live better coalition in 1997, supporting ousting Bulatović and Milošević's supporters.[1] He was in this government from 1998 to 2000. Losing support from many Serbian nationalists who were against cooperation with DPS, they left the party and formed the Serbian People's Party of Montenegro.
Changing his opinion to more moderate views and disappointed by the Serbs losses in the Yugoslav wars, Kilibarda attained a pro-Montenegrin attitude, eventually supporting the idea of an independent Montenegro. He published brochures in opposition to Serb-conducted war crimes and plead forgiveness of Croatia and Bosnia for his previous attitude. Outspoken supporter of breaking the federal state of Serbia, he was ousted from NS CG in 2000 when the party withdrew from coalition with DPS CG. Forming close relations with academician Jevrem Brković and his Doclean Academy of Sciences and Arts, he attained a view that Montenegrins are a unique nation and not Serbs. On the 2006 independence referendum he was a proponent of Montenegrin bloc for independence, ending with victory.