Rifat Rastoder

Rifat Rastoder
Rifat Rastoder
Рифат Растодер
	Rastoder in 2016
Acting President of Montenegro
	In office; 19–22 May 2003
Prime Minister	Milo Đukanović
Preceded by	Milo Đukanović; Filip Vujanović (acting);
Succeeded by	Filip Vujanović
Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
	In office; 25 January 2016 – 22 January 2017
Parliamentary group	Socialist Group
Personal details
Born	11 July 1950; Radmanci or Bihor, Berane, PR Montenegro, FPR Yugoslavia
Died	4 May 2023 (aged 72); Podgorica, Montenegro
Political party	SDP (1993–2016)
Children	2
Relatives	Šerbo Rastoder
Occupation	Journalist; politician; writer;

Rifat Rastoder (Bosnian and Montenegrin Cyrillic: Рифат Растодер; 11 July 1950 – 4 May 2023) was a Montenegrin politician, writer and journalist of Bosniak ethnicity. He was the deputy speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro and the vice-president of the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro.^[2]

Career

In 1969, Rastoder moved to Titograd (now Podgorica) where he continued to live until his death. He became a professional journalist in 1980. Until 1986, he worked for Radio Crne Gore as a journalist, program editor and the editor of the programming block. In 1990, he was voted Best Journalist. By late 1996, he had become a journalist and editor of the interior-political rubric and commentator for the Pobjeda newspaper. From 1991, he was a journalist and editor in the weekly news magazine Monitor, along with one of the initiators of founding Radio Antena M.^[1]

He became active in Montenegrin politics in 1990, founding the Forum for Bosniaks in Montenegro.^[1] He was also a member of the board of the Civic Forum and was one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro, of which he was vice-president.^[3]

Rastoder was chosen as representative in the Parliament four times, and deputy speaker of the Parliament for three mandates of which he served under Svetozar Marović, Filip Vujanović and Ranko Krivokapić. He served as acting President of Montenegro from 19 to 22 May 2003.^[4]

Rastoder retired from politics in 2016, formally leaving his position as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 2017.^[3]

Personal life

Rastoder was married with two children. His cousin, Šerbo Rastoder, is a prominent historian. He was a Muslim and spoke in favour of freedom of religion in Montenegro.^[5] Besides his native language, he also spoke Russian and to a lesser degree, English.

He was an athlete, coach and referee of karate in Montenegro.^[2]

Rastoder died on 4 May 2023, at the age of 72.^[6]