Dragan Marković

Dragan Marković
Драган Марковић
Marković in 2014
Mayor of Jagodina
In office
2004–2012
Preceded byPetar Jovanović
Succeeded byRatko Stevanović
President of the Assembly of Jagodina
In office
2012–2024
Preceded byRatko Stevanović
Succeeded byto be determined
Personal details
Born
Dragan Marković

(1960-05-02)2 May 1960
Končarevo, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia
Died22 November 2024(2024-11-22) (aged 64)
Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia[1]
Political partyParty of Serbian Unity (1993–2003)
United Serbia (2004–2024)
Spouse
Snežana Marković[2]
(m. 1979)
Children2
OccupationPolitician
NicknamePalma

Dragan Marković (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Марковић; 2 May 1960 – 22 November 2024), commonly known as Palma (Serbian Cyrillic: Палма, lit.'palm tree'), was a Serbian businessman and politician. He served as a member of the National Assembly of Serbia and was the founder and the party leader of United Serbia (Jedinstvena Srbija).

Biography

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Marković was the mayor of Jagodina from 2004 until 2012.[3]

In June 2024, after the 2024 Serbian local elections, Marković was elected President of the City Assembly of Jagodina, the position he held until his death.[4]

Marković died on 22 November 2024, at the age of 64.[5]

Controversies

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Due to public statements against the LGBT population, Marković was sentenced by the First Basic Court in Belgrade in November 2011 for "severe discrimination", defined as "inciting inequality, hatred and intolerance based on sexual orientation".[6]

On 19 April 2021, vice president of the Party of Freedom And Justice, Marinika Tepić, accused Palma and his partners of "prostitution of women and girls" in Jagodina.[7] Tepić also revealed a video of the testimony of an anonymous man who is informed of the prostitution case. In the video he explained how everything was organized, who knew everything about cheating minors and which government members attended parties where prostitution was happening, claiming that all of this was happening in Hotel Končarevo whose "real owner" is Palma.[8] Palma responded to these claims by calling them "lies" and announced that he will sue Tepić.[9] Prosecutors announced that they would investigate the claims.[10] On 23 April 2021, rector of the Megatrend University, Mića Jovanović, stated that he was a present at a party where Palma "prostituted girls between the ages of 18 and 20 to state and municipal officials".[11]

References

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  1. ^ "U Jagodini proglašena trodnevna žalost: Poznat datum i mjesto sahrane Dragana Markovića Palme". Mondo.ba (in Bosnian). 2024-11-23. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  2. ^ "Okruživale ga pevačice, a ona mu je osvojila srce: Iznenadićete se kad vidite damu koja je bila Palmina najveća podrška". Mondo.rs (in Serbian). 2024-11-22. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  3. ^ Градоначелник - Драган Марковић Палма (in Serbian). City of Jagodina. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Na koju funkciju je izabran Dragan Marković Palma?". Danas. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  5. ^ Beograd, N1 (2024-11-22). "Umro Dragan Marković Palma". N1 (in Serbian). Retrieved 2024-11-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Palma osuđen za diskriminaciju LGBT populacije". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  7. ^ "Tepić: Palma i njegovi ljudi podvode devojčice od 15 godina". NOVA portal (in Serbian). 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  8. ^ "VIDEO Ekskluzivan snimak svedočenja o Palminom podvođenju maloletnica". NOVA portal (in Serbian). 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  9. ^ "DRAGAN MARKOVIĆ PALMA: Tužiću Mariniku Tepić! Ona je Đilasov glasnogovornik kog se ne plašim". kurir.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  10. ^ "Veteran Serbian Politician Faces Sexual Exploitation Investigation". Balkan Insight. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Mića Jovanović svedoči: Video sam kako Palma podvodi devojke državnim funkcionerima". NOVA portal (in Serbian). 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
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