# President of Serbia and Montenegro

The president of Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian: Предс(ј)едник Србије и Црне Горе, romanized: Preds(j)ednik Srbije i Crne Gore) was the head of state of Serbia and Montenegro. From its establishment in 1992 until 2003, when the country was reconstituted as a confederacy (state union) via constitutional reform, the head of state was known as the president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbian: Предс(ј)едник Савезне Републике Југославије, romanized: Preds(j)ednik Savezne Republike Jugoslavije). With the constitutional reforms of 2003 and the merging of the offices of head of government and head of state, the full title of the president was President of Serbia and Montenegro and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian: Предс(ј)едник Србије и Црне Горе / Предс(ј)едник Сав(ј)ета министара Србије и Црне Горе). In 2006 the office was abolished as the state union was dissolved, with Serbia and Montenegro becoming independent countries.

## Authority

As head of state, the president had the power to
* represent the country at home and abroad
* appoint and recall heads of diplomatic and consular missions
* receive letters of credence and recall from foreign diplomatic representatives
* confer medals and other decorations
* promulgate laws passed by the Parliament
* call for parliamentary elections
In 2003, the powers of the president were extended to include the right to chair the Council of Ministers and propose the composition of the Council of Ministers to the parliament, effectively merging the powers of the head of government into the office. However, although the president became de jure both head of state and head of government, his role was largely limited because all the institutions were indirectly elected by confederal parliament, which was itself elected by parliaments of member states.

## Elections

Under the 1992 constitution, the president was elected by the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia for a four-year term. After the constitutional amendments of 2000, direct elections for the office of President were introduced. Under the 2003 constitution, the president was elected at the proposal of the president and vice president of the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro for a four-year term. The president of Serbia and Montenegro was a member of the Supreme Defence Council together with the president of Serbia and the president of Montenegro.
The results of the direct presidential elections of 2000 were as follows:
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | 28 September figures | 28 September figures | 10 October figures | 10 October figures |
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | Vojislav Koštunica | Democratic Opposition of Serbia | 2,474,392 | 50.38 | 2,470,304 | 51.71 |
| | Slobodan Milošević | SPS–JUL–SNP | 1,951,761 | 39.74 | 1,826,799 | 38.24 |
| | Tomislav Nikolić | Serbian Radical Party | 292,759 | 5.96 | 289,013 | 6.05 |
| | Vojislav Mihailović | Serbian Renewal Movement | 146,585 | 2.98 | 145,019 | 3.04 |
| | Miodrag Vidojković | Affirmative Party | 46,421 | 0.95 | 45,964 | 0.96 |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,911,918 | 100.00 | 4,777,099 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 4,911,918 | 97.32 | 4,777,099 | 97.19 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 135,371 | 2.68 | 137,991 | 2.81 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,047,289 | 100.00 | 4,915,090 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 7,249,831 | 69.62 | 6,871,595 | 71.53 |
| Source: CESID, IFES |||||||

## Presidents

There were six presidents of FR Yugoslavia (two acting) after its assertion of independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) in 1992 up until its dissolution in 2003. Svetozar Marović of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro was the only President of the FR Yugoslavia after its constitutional reforms and reconstitution as a confederacy. He was inaugurated on March 7, 2003. After the declaration of independence of Montenegro, on June 3, 2006, the president announced on June 4, 2006 the termination of his office.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Lifespan) | Representing | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Note |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Lifespan) | Representing | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Note |
| Presidents of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1992–2003 |||||||||
| 1 | | Dobrica Ćosić (1921–2014) | Serbia | 15 June 1992 | 1 June 1993 | 351 days | Independent | – |
| – | | Miloš Radulović (1929–2017) Acting | Montenegro | 1 June 1993 | 25 June 1993 | 24 days | DPS | – |
| 2 | | Zoran Lilić (born 1953) | Serbia | 25 June 1993 | 25 June 1997 | 4 years | SPS | – |
| – | | Srđa Božović (born 1955) Acting | Montenegro | 25 June 1997 | 23 July 1997 | 28 days | DPS | – |
| 3 | | Slobodan Milošević (1941–2006) | Serbia | 23 July 1997 | 7 October 2000 | 3 years, 76 days | SPS | Forced to step down in the Bulldozer Revolution. |
| 4 | | Vojislav Koštunica (born 1944) | Serbia | 7 October 2000 | 7 March 2003 | 2 years, 151 days | DSS | The only president elected in direct election. |
| President of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro 2003–2006 |||||||||
| 5 | | Svetozar Marović (born 1955) | Montenegro | 7 March 2003 | 3 June 2006 | 3 years, 88 days | DPS | Also head of government as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro (offices merged). |