Sifet Podžić Explained

Sifet Podžić
Office:Minister of Defence
Primeminister:Zoran Tegeltija
Term Start:23 December 2019
Term End:25 January 2023
Predecessor:Marina Pendeš
Successor:Zukan Helez
Office1:Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
President1:Haris Silajdžić
Nebojša Radmanović
Željko Komšić
Term Start1:1 January 2006
Term End1:20 July 2008
Predecessor1:Office established
Successor1:Miladin Milojčić
Embed:yes
Office2:Member of the House of Peoples
Term Start2:16 February 2015
Term End2:28 February 2019
Birth Date:1 May 1959
Birth Place:Žepa, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality:Bosnian
Party:Democratic Front)
Alma Mater:University of Sarajevo (MA, PhD)
Children:2
Allegiance: (1978–92)
(1992–95)
(1995–04)
(2004–09)
Branch:JNA (1978–92)
ARBiH (1992–95)
VFBiH (1995–04)
OSBiH (2004–09)
Serviceyears:1978–2009
Rank:Commander
Commands:5th Corps of the Federal Army
Battles:Bosnian War

Sifet Podžić (born 1 May 1959) is a Bosnian politician and former Army commander who served as Minister of Defence from 2019 to 2023. He has been a member of the Democratic Front since 2013.

Podžić previously served as member of the national House of Peoples from 2015 to 2019, and was also the first Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2006 to 2008.[1] He has served as the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador to Bulgaria as well.[2]

Early life and education

Podžić was born in Žepa, SFR Yugoslavia, present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 1 May 1959. He earned an MS in diplomacy and a PhD from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Sarajevo.[3]

Minister of Defence (2019–2023)

Appointment

See also: Cabinet of Zoran Tegeltija.

On 23 December 2019, Podžić was appointed by the Democratic Front as Minister of Defence in the government of Zoran Tegeltija.[4]

Tenure

On 14 July 2021, Podžić and the Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turković met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.[5]

In August 2021, Bosnian Presidency members Željko Komšić and Šefik Džaferović, without including third member Milorad Dodik, instructed the Ministry of Security to be available for putting out the wildfires in Herzegovina which had formed a few days before.[6] This came after Dodik refused to give consent on the Bosnian Armed Forces to use its military helicopters to help in putting out the fires, because the consent of all three members of the Presidency is required for the military force's helicopters to be used.[7] On 19 August, Dodik justified himself saying that the "Helicopters are 40–50 years old. The people flying them have courage. Of course, that is not the only reason why I did not participate in the Presidency sessions. That reason is well known and it will remain so."[8] However, on 23 August, Podžić reacted to Dodik's statement, saying "The helicopters are perfectly fine, the only reason they didn't help in putting out the fires is Dodik."[9]

In October 2021, Podžić canceled a military exercise between the Serbian Army and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the "bad COVID-19 epidemiological situation in the country and because of the small number of vaccinated members of the Armed Forces."[10] This was met with outrage by Chairman of the Council of Ministers Zoran Tegeltija, who sent a request for the removal of Podžić as minister to the national Parliament.[11] Some days later, he submitted the decision on the dismissal of Podžić to the House of Representatives.[12] On 26 October, the majority of the House of Representatives members voted against Tegeltija's decision and did not support Podžić's dismissal.[13]

Podžić was succeeded as Minister of Defence by Zukan Helez on 25 January 2023, following the formation of a new government presided over by Borjana Krišto.[14]

Personal life

Podžić is married and has two children.[3] Besides his native Bosnian, he speaks English and Slovene fluently.[3]

Health

On 17 October 2022, Podžić was rushed to hospital and had emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his abdominal aorta.[15] He was placed into the intensive care unit the next day.[16] Podžić recovered and was discharged from hospital on 21 October.[17]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Deset na jednu uniformu. F. Tomić. Večernje novosti. 18 May 2008. 1 January 2011.
  2. Web site: Sifet Podžić. parlament.ba. 17 February 2020.
  3. Web site: Sifet Podžić. 17 December 2022. bs. vijeceministara.gov.ba.
  4. Web site: Počela sjednica o imenovanju Vijeća ministara BiH. 23 December 2019. 23 December 2019. bs. Er.M.. Klix.ba.
  5. Web site: Turković i Podžić danas u sjedištu NATO-a o koracima BiH u okviru Akcijskog plana za članstvo. 14 July 2021. 14 July 2021. bs. M.G.. Klix.ba.
  6. Web site: Predsjedništvo bez Dodika zadužilo Ministarstvo sigurnosti da bude na raspolaganju za gašenje požara. 13 August 2021. 13 August 2021. bs. N.V.. Klix.ba.
  7. Web site: Dok bukte požari u Hercegovini čeka se Dodikova saglasnost za angažovanje helikoptera OSBiH. 12 August 2021. 12 August 2021. bs. D.Be.. Klix.ba.
  8. Web site: Dodik se pokušao opravdati: Helikopteri Oružanih snaga su na ivici ispravnosti. 19 August 2021. 19 August 2021. bs. B.R.. Klix.ba.
  9. Web site: Podžić: Helikopteri su ispravni, jedini razlog što nisu gasili požare je Dodik. 23 August 2021. 23 August 2021. bs. M.G.. Klix.ba.
  10. Web site: Otkazana vojna vježba Srbije i BiH na Manjači. 4 October 2021. 4 October 2021. bs. balkans.aljazeera.net.
  11. Web site: Tegeltija uputio zahtjev za smjenu Podžića u Parlament BiH, iako političari iz RS-a bojkotuju sjednice. 5 October 2021. 5 October 2021. bs. D.Be.. Klix.ba.
  12. Web site: Tegeltija u Parlament BiH dostavio odluku o smjeni Podžića: "Narušava unutrašnje povjerenje". 14 October 2021. 14 October 2021. bs. B.T.. Klix.ba.
  13. Web site: Zastupnici u Parlamentu BiH odbili podržati smjenu ministra Podžića. 26 October 2021. 26 October 2021. bs. bljesak.info.
  14. Web site: BiH dobila novo Vijeće ministara, državnu vlast sada čini SNSD, HDZ, SDP, NiP, NS, DNS.... 25 January 2023. 25 January 2023. bs. N.V.. Klix.ba.
  15. Web site: Poznat uzrok hospitalizacije ministra odbrane Sifeta Podžića. 17 October 2022. 17 October 2022. bs. Klix.ba.
  16. Web site: Nakon hitne operacije: Poznato kakvo je zdravstveno stanje ministra Sifeta Podžića. 18 October 2022. 18 October 2022. bs. oslobodjenje.ba.
  17. Web site: Ministar odbrane BiH Sifet Podžić izašao iz bolnice, osjeća se dobro. 21 October 2022. 21 October 2022. bs. S.Š.U.. Klix.ba.