Ljubo Sanjakorin (born c. 1949) is a Kresimirian politician and former trade unionist who served as the leader of the Blue Dawn party from 1981 to 2002. He has also represented the district of Kakerovecska (District II) as a Senator in the Assembly of the Republic since his election in 1979.
Early Life and Union Career
Sanjakorin in 1982 at a SZNO negotiation
Ljubo Sanjakorin was born in Novi Otonik, Kakerovecska, in 1949. In the early 1970s, he became an organizer for SZNO, the state-sanctioned trade union representing the city’s iron and steel industries. Sanjakorin advanced through the union’s hierarchy, becoming a prominent public figure representing the interests of industrial laborers. His work within the union established his political base in Kakerovecska, one of Kresimiria’s key economic districts.
Political Career
Based on his profile as a union leader, Sanjakorin was encouraged to run as a candidate for the Blue Dawn party in the 1979 special election by Blue Dawn leader and his close friend Ante Brov. He successfully won the seat in the Assembly, becoming a Senator for Kakerovecska at the age of 30.
In 1981, following the retirement of Ante Brov, Sanjakorin was elected as the new Leader of Blue Dawn 5-4. His election was a surprise, since he had only been a Senator for two years at the time, and Nika Radman was the expected frontrunner. Radman’s age was negatively perceived amongst younger Senators, and Brov and Sanjakorin ran a campaign aiming at revitalising the youth vote in Kresimiria. Nevertheless, Radman congratulated Sanjakorin on his election, and himself retired the following year.
Sanjakorin led the party for twenty-one years, before stepping down as leader in advance of the 2002 election.
To-Do:
- Re-make an older picture