Ante Jelavić
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ante Jelavić
| image =
| office = 3rd Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
| term_start = 15 June 1999
| term_end = 14 February 2000
| predecessor = Živko Radišić
| successor = Alija Izetbegović
| office1 = 2nd Croat Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
| term_start1 = 15 November 1998
| term_end1 = 7 March 2001
| primeminister1 = Spasoje Tuševljak{{-}}Martin Raguž{{-}}Božidar Matić
| predecessor1 = Krešimir Zubak
| successor1 = Jozo Križanović
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|Ministerial offices
| cont = yes
| titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| office2 = Federal Minister of Defence
| term_start2 = 18 December 1996
| term_end2 = 13 October 1998
| primeminister2 = Edhem Bičakčić
| predecessor2 = Jadranko Prlić
| successor2 = Miroslav Prce
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
}}
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|Additional positions
| cont = yes
| titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| office3 = 1st President of the Croatian National Assembly
| term_start3 = 28 October 2000
| term_end3 = 4 May 2002
| predecessor3 = Office established
| successor3 = Dragan Čović
| office4 = President of the Croatian Democratic Union
| term_start4 = 17 May 1998
| term_end4 = 4 May 2002
| predecessor4 = Božo Rajić
| successor4 = Bariša Čolak
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|08|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Vrgorac, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
| nationality = Bosnian Croat
| party = Croatian Democratic Union
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| profession =
| religion =
| allegiance = {{flag|Yugoslavia}} {{small|(1986–1991)}}{{-}}{{flag|Croatia}} {{small|(1991)}}{{-}}{{flag|Herzeg-Bosnia}} {{small|(1991–1996)}}{{-}}{{flag|Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|1996}} {{small|(1996)}}
| branch = Yugoslav People's Army {{small|1986–1991)}}{{-}}Croatian National Guard {{small|(1991)}}{{-}}Croatian Defence Council {{small|(1991–1996)}}{{-}}Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina {{small|(1996)}}
| serviceyears = 1991–1996
| rank = {{flagicon|Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|1996}} Colonel General{{-}}{{flagicon|Herzeg-Bosnia}} Colonel General{{-}}{{flagicon|Croatia}} Major General
| unit = Croatian Defence Council
| commands = Croatian Defence Council
| battles = Bosnian War{{-}}Croatian War of Independence
| mawards = Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski{{-}}Order of Ban Jelačić{{-}}Order of the Croatian Trefoil{{-}}Homeland's Gratitude Medal
}}
Ante Jelavić (born 21 August 1963) is a Bosnian Croat politician who served as the 2nd Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1998 to 2001. He was the youngest person to hold the office of Presidency member and also the youngest Presidency member at the end of his tenure.
Jelavić previously served as the Federal Minister of Defence from 1996 to 1998. He was also president of the Croatian Democratic Union from 1998 to 2002.
Presidency (1998–2001)
At the 1998 general election, Jelavić was elected to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, having obtained 52.91% of the vote. The Social Democratic Party candidate, Gradimir Gojer, was second with 31.83%. Taking office at the age of 35, he was the youngest person to hold the office of Presidency member.{{cite web|url=https://avaz.ba/vijesti/bih/301842/gdje-su-i-sta-rade-nekadasnji-clanovi-kolektivnog-sefa-nase-drzave-belkic-u-vocnjaku-jelavic-u-bijegu-silajdzic-u-indiji|title=Gdje su i šta rade nekadašnji članovi kolektivnog šefa naše države: Belkić u voćnjaku, Jelavić u bijegu, Silajdžić u Indiji|date=17 September 2017|access-date=17 September 2017|language=bs|publisher=Dnevni avaz}}
On 7 March 2001, Jelavić was removed from office by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch. Petritsch justified his decision by observing that Jelavić had "directly violated the constitutional order of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of Bosnia and Herzegovina"; in particular he cited Jelavić's leading role in the 'Croatian National Assembly' rally in Mostar on 3 March 2001, calling for a separate governing entity for Bosnian Croats.[http://www.ohr.int/decisions/removalssdec/default.asp?content_id=328 Decision removing Jelavić from his position as the Croat member of the BiH Presidency] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505032300/http://www.ohr.int/decisions/removalssdec/default.asp?content_id=328 |date=5 May 2007 }}, ohr.int, 7 March 2001.
Investigations and indictments
On 22 January 2004, Jelavić was arrested in his home in Mostar, on charges of corruption. On 4 November 2005, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo found Jelavić guilty of abuse of office, embezzlement of office, and lack of commitment in office. The findings of guilt related, in part, to the use of funds from the Federal Ministry of Defence to purchase shares in banking and insurance firms Hercegovačka Banka and Herzegovina Osiguranje. Judge Malcolm Simmons{{Who|date=August 2015}} presided,[http://www.sudbih.gov.ba/files/docs/presude/2005/Jelavic_ENG_KPV_10_04.pdf Case KPV-10/04] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708133333/http://www.sudbih.gov.ba/files/docs/presude/2005/Jelavic_ENG_KPV_10_04.pdf |date=8 July 2018 }}, sudbih.gov.ba; accessed 13 August 2015. A sentence of ten years imprisonment was subsequently pronounced, although Jelavić was not present at the sentencing hearing {{why|date=August 2015}} and remained at large.{{cn|date=August 2015}}
His attorney, Dragan Barbarić, acting in his client's absence, initiated a successful appeal against the first instance verdict on the grounds that it lacked proper factual description of the offence and as such was in violation of criminal procedural law. On 4 July 2006, with the verdict revoked, the appeal panel, presided over by Judge Nedžad Popovac, called for new proceedings in which evidence presented at the first trial will be re-presented and in which new evidence may also be presented.[http://www.sudbih.gov.ba/files/docs/presude/2006/Jelavic_ENG_KPZ_47_05.pdf Case KPŽ-47/05] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165427/http://www.sudbih.gov.ba/files/docs/presude/2006/Jelavic_ENG_KPZ_47_05.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }}, sudbih.gov.ba; accessed 13 August 2015.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Succession boxes
|list=
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Božo Rajić}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the Croatian Democratic Union|years=1998–2002}}
{{s-aft|after=Bariša Čolak}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Krešimir Zubak}}
{{s-ttl|title=Croat Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina|years=1998–2001}}
{{s-aft|after=Jozo Križanović}}
{{s-bef|before=Živko Radišić}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina|years=1999–2000}}
{{s-aft|after=Alija Izetbegović}}
{{s-end}}
}}
{{Bosnian President}}
{{HDZ BiH President}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jelavic, Ante}}
Category:Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina politicians
Category:Politicians of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Category:Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Category:Chairmen of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina