Fikret Abdic, President Of The Autonomous Province Of Wesern Bosnia

Year and place of birth: 1939, in the village of Donja Vidovska, municipality of Velika Kladusa. He was the third child in a large family. Father Hasim and mother Zlata.

Life credo: ``Knowledge, knowledge and only knowledge.''

What are politics: ``Politics are just a service for business. And nothing else.''

When did he become a politician: When he realized that he couldn't be a good businessman if he wasn't a political activist. He became a member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia in 1959 after graduating from the secondary agricultural school. He graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture. He was initially a member of local forums and became a member of the BosniaHerzegovina Communist Party Central Committee in 1967. Abdic was elected deputy for the first time in 1963.

His business achievements: Abdic started off as the director of an agricultural cooperative with 26 employees. Twenty years later he had transformed it into the enormous agribusinesses ``Agrokomerc'' with 13,500 employees, 430 farms in 50 villages, 52 factories and 17,000 subcontractors.

His political posts: From the start of his business career he was under the patronage of the Pozderac family (an influential Bosnian family under Tito). Those in the know say that Abdic took his father's advice: ``Stick to Pozderac, and don't worry.'' His first big chance came when he won a state contract to buy metal constructions for broiler farms in Czechoslovakia. After this ``Agrokomerc'' became Bosnia Herzegovina's state farm for the production of chicken and turkey meat. Before the ``Agrokomerc'' scandal, Abdic held the following posts: BH government member and presidency member, delegate in the Chamber of Republics of the Yugoslav Assembly; after the multiparty elections he was elected to the BH Presidency (with the greatest number of votes), on September 30, 1993 he was excluded from the Presidency.

He achieved fame: In 1987 with the beginning of the ``Agrokomerc'' affair. Apart from him, over one hundred people went before party committees of enquiry.

Accused of: Undermining socialism, toppling brotherhood and unity. After 28 months in investigative detention, he was out of jail. Even popular folk singer Lepa Brena had something to say about the case: ``It's a betrayal of socialism if someone like Fikret Abdic can make tens of thousands of people desperate.''

How did the ``Agrokomerc'' scandal end: After two years the scandal ended in oblivion. In the aftermath of the scandal several people lost their lives including Abdic's brother. Hamdija Pozderac, vice president of the BH Presidency at the time resigned and the authorities issued about one hundred indictments, while the Communist Party demoted some fifty odd officials. Finally, Abdic publicly absolved all the participants in the scandal.

His defence: Contrary to the official scenario (economic crimes and thievery), Abdic disclosed the political side of the affair and during his defence insisted on the fact that he was the victim of a clash between two powerful clansBranko Mikulic (Republican premier) versus Hamdija Pozderac.

His first conflict with politicians: ``The politicians' dissatisfaction with me started in 1974 when the agricultural cooperative from Velika Kladusa didn't become part of a big regional system.''

When did he return to politics: At the time of the multiparty elections. ``It's common knowledge that I was the ace up the sleeve for many parties. It's no accident that they fought to get me.'' The Reformists and the Communists wanted him on their lists, but Abdic opted for the Party of Democratic Action (SDA).

His present position: The founder and President of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, the founder of a new partythe Muslim Democratic Party, and ``Agrokomerc'' director and president of the executive board.

Why did he set up the AP Western Bosnia: ``In order that democracy might defeat a military dictatorship.''

How does he view the current situation: ``This political insanity has destroyed the real results of work. Everything that Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and the Presidency have done so far, has been wrong. It's my mistake that I didn't stand up against Alija's despotism earlier.''

Is he a democrat: At the time of the first SDA congress in December 1991 while all stood and applauded, Fikret Abdic kept sitting. ``That was the biggest thing, when I didn't get up, in this young history of a multiparty system here.''

Awards: For his life work in economic advancement Abdic was awarded the highest BH state award, for his life's work and contribution to Islam, Abdic received the ``King Feisal'' award.