Nika Radman (1902–2001) was a Kresimirian statesman, soldier, and one of the six Divine Founders of the Republic. He holds the unbroken record for the longest-serving member of the Assembly, having represented District V (Moskiprovac) for sixty consecutive years, from the inaugural session in 1922 until his retirement in 1982. He never served as Chair of the Assembly.
Often referred to as the “Grandfather of the Assembly,” Radman was the youngest member of the Revolutionary People’s Council in 1921. His political longevity allowed him to bridge the gap between the revolutionary era of Filip Novak and the modern industrial era of Ljubo Sanjakorin. He was a staunch centralist and a key architect of the Blue Dawn party, known for his austere lifestyle and his refusal to leave his modest home in Vijrje for the luxury of the capital.
Early Life and the Revolution
Born in 1902 in Vijrje, Radman came from a family of railway workers. When the Unification War broke out in 1918, he was only 16 years old. He lied about his age to join the Centralist Faction militia.
The Aide to Novak
Radman’s rise to power was unorthodox. He was not a general, a priest, or an intellectual. Instead, he served as a personal aide-de-camp and runner for the charismatic leader Filip Novak. Impressed by the young soldier’s fanatical loyalty and organizational competence, Novak brought him into his inner circle.
When the Revolutionary People’s Council was formed in 1921 to draft the Constitution, Novak insisted on Radman’s inclusion despite his youth (18), viewing him as the representative of the “Republican Youth.” This appointment cemented Radman’s status as a Divine Founder.
Radman in 1921 at the age of 18.
Senatorial Career (1922–1952)
In the 1922 election, Radman was elected as the Senior Senator for District V under the Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP).
The 1931 Security Crisis
Radman’s early career was defined by the 1931 Vijrje Anniversary Attack. Tasked with organizing the Republic’s 10th-anniversary celebration in his home district, Radman advocated for a “lockdown” security protocol, fearing a BRC-21 strike. However, he was overruled by his district colleague, Senator Dora Martinovic, who successfully argued for relaxed measures to maintain a festive atmosphere.
The subsequent bombing vindicated Radman’s hardline stance on national security but left him deeply embittered. Following the tragedy, he became a vocal supporter of the 1933 National Security Act, aligning himself with the security hawks of the RPP.
The Blue Dawn Era (1952–1981)
Following the dissolution of the RPP in 1951, Radman joined his fellow founder Luka Matar in establishing Blue Dawn. He served as a stabilizing force within the party, providing continuity during the turbulent “Iron Era” of the 1950s.
The “Man of the People”
Despite his immense influence, Radman cultivated an image of extreme austerity. He famously refused to move to the “Gold District” of Sinj, where most high-ranking officials resided. Instead, he continued to live in his small, pre-war house in Vijrje.
For sixty years, he commuted to the Assembly via the Republic Rail network and the Vijrje tram system. This visibility made him politically untouchable in District V; voters viewed him as an incorruptible guardian of the state.
The 1981 Leadership Challenge
By 1981, following the resignation of party leader Ante Brov, Blue Dawn was at a crossroads. The party was split between the traditionalists and a rising faction of trade unionists led by Ljubo Sanjakorin.
Radman, then 79 years old, stood for the leadership. He campaigned on a return to the “Founding Values” of Novak and Matar. However, the party caucus viewed him as a relic of a bygone era. In a closed-door vote, Radman was defeated by Sanjakorin by a margin of 6 to 4.
Retirement and Succession
Stung by the defeat and recognizing that the party had moved beyond him, Radman announced he would not seek re-election in the 1982 election.
He handpicked his successor: Mlada Wrba, a young accountant from Vijrje who had served on his staff. His endorsement guaranteed her victory, though he would later live to see her disgrace in the Vijrje Restoration Scandal of the 1990s, an event he reportedly described as “the final death of the Revolution.”
Death and Legacy
Nika Radman retired to his home in Vijrje, where he lived quietly, refusing to write a memoir or comment on modern politics. He died in 2001 at the age of 99, the last surviving member of the Revolutionary People’s Council.
His home in Vijrje was preserved as a state museum, serving as a monument to the austere ideals of the Republic’s founding generation.