Mirko Šarović
Mirko Šarović (; born 16 September 1956) is a Bosnian Serb politician who served as the 3rd Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2003. He is the current president of the Serb Democratic Party. From 2000 until 2002, Šarović also served as the 4th president of Republika Srpska and was Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on two occasions as well. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Sarajevo in 1979. Following the Bosnian War in the 1990s, he was elected to the National Assembly of Republika Srpska . In 2000, he became president of Republika Srpska, serving until 2002. At the 2002 general election, Šarović was elected Serb member of the Bosnian Presidency, serving as its member only until 2003, when he resigned from office amid allegations of his involvement in organising illegal military trading with Iraq. From 2012 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2019, he served as Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations. In 2019, he became the new president of the Serb Democratic Party. Early life and education. Šarović was born in Rogatica, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia on 16 September 1956 . He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Sarajevo in 1979. During the 1980s, Šarović was employed in the Engine Factory Sarajevo (Famos) and Unis Sarajevo. Career. Šarović entered politics before the Bosnian War, as secretary of the municipality of Novo Sarajevo. In one term, he was president of the Executive Board and mayor of East Sarajevo. Šarović was a member of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska for two terms. As president of Republika Srpska, he signed the historic Agreement on Special Parallel Relations between FR Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska on 5 March 2001 in Banja Luka, together with  FR Yugoslavia President Vojislav Koštunica. The Assembly of FR Yugoslavia ratified the signed agreement 10 May 2001. From 28 October 2002 until 2 April 2003, Šarović served as the 3rd Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He resigned from the Presidency on 2 April 2003 amid allegations of his involvement in organising illegal military trading with Iraq. Šarović was Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on two occasions. On 30 June 2019, he became the new president of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), succeeding Vukota Govedarica. As  president of the SDS, the major opposition party in Republika Srpska, Šarović has been a fierce opponent and critic of Bosnian Serb leader and current Bosnian Presidency member Milorad Dodik, having clashes with him on numerous occasions. Personal life. Mirko is married to Stojanka Šarović and together they have two children. They live in East Sarajevo.