Novak Kilibarda

Novak Kilibarda (Serbian Cyrillic: Новак Килибарда) is a politician, writer and activist from Montenegro. He is the currently president of the inactive People's Concord of 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 Serb nationalism.

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 advocated the Serbian nationalist movement often demanding abolition of borders within Yugoslavia and direct union of Montenegro into Serbia. Supporting a Greater Serbia during the Yugoslav wars, Kilibarda often visited Yugoslav and Serb divisions fighting in Croatia and Bosnia from 1991 to 1995 in support.

In 1992 Kilibarda was together with Milo Đukanović he led the bloc for common Yugoslavia with Serbia during the referendum, ending in full victory.

Kilibarda was a fierce opposer of Slobodan Milošević claiming his work is against Serb interests. It is so that 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 his government from 1998 to 2000. Losing support from many individuals who were disgusted by 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-Djukanovic 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 controversial Jevrem Brković and his Doclean Academy of Sciences and Arts, he attained a view that Montenegrins are a unique nation and not Serbs. He formed the People's Concord of Montenegro with his supporters that failed to become prominent on the political scene, being removed as leader in 2003.^[2] On the 2006 independence referendum he was a leader of Đukanović's bloc for independence, ending in victory like the previous referendum.

References

1. ^ Milosevic's foe headed for big win
2. ^ Razriješen Novak Kilibarda