Dragan Cavic

Dragan Cavic, Republika Srpska President

(Office of RS President)

Dragan Cavic became the president of the Republika Srpska (RS) on 28 November 2002, following the implementation of the October general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He replaced former entity president Mirko Sarovic.

Cavic received 35.9 per cent of the vote against 22.1 per cent for the closest runner up Milan Jelic. Voter turnout was 53.9 per cent.

Cavic was born 10 March 1958 in Zenica. He went to elementary and high school in Banja Luka, and graduated from the Economic Faculty in Banja Luka in 1980.

He worked as an economist, and worked in several state and private companies as a manager of financial services and commercial director.

Cavic is a member of the Serb Democratic Party and served as deputy president of the party presidency from June 1998 to March 2002. The party voted him deputy head of the party in 2002.

He was elected to the Republika Srpska Parliament, the National Assembly, in 1998 but was removed by then-High Representative Carlos Westendorp for obstructing the Dayton Peace Agreement. The removal meant that he was banned from political activity, but the decision was rescinded in July 1999 by Westendorp's replacement, Wolfgang Petritsch.

Cavic served as RS vice president between 2000 and 2002.

Cavic is married and has a son and a daughter.