Jozo Križanović

Jozo Križanović (28 July 1944 – 2 December 2009) was a Bosnian politician who served as the 3rd Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2001 to 2002. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP BiH), he later served in the national House of Representatives from 2002 to 2009.

Born in Vitez during World War II, Križanović earned a degree in mechanical engineer at the University of Sarajevo and spent much of his early career in local industry and municipal administration in central Bosnia. Entering politics through the SDP BiH during the late 1990s, he became a member of the Presidency in March 2001, following the removal of Ante Jelavić by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. As Presidency member, Križanović supported Bosnia and Herzegovina's cooperation with international institutions, post-war reconciliation, and engagement with the ICTY and other Euro-Atlantic partners.

Following his term in the Presidency, Križanović served two terms as member of the House of Representatives, where he led the SDP BiH parliamentary club and took part in legislative committees focused on governance and institutional reform. He served in the House of Representatives until his death in 2009.

Early life and education Križanović was born on 28 July 1944 in Vitez, then part of the Independent State of Croatia, a Nazi German puppet state during World War II. He finished gymnasium in Travnik in 1963 and graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sarajevo in 1969. He later obtained a master's degree in organizational sciences from the University of Sarajevo in 1982.

In the late socialist period and the early transition to a market system, Križanović worked in local industry and local government in the Travnik area. He held management positions in the enterprise Bratstvo and served in municipal leadership roles in Pucarevo, modern-day Novi Travnik.

Presidency (2001–2002) In March 2001, Križanović replaced Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH) leader Ante Jelavić as the Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jelavić had been removed from office by the decision of Wolfgang Petritsch, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Križanović served as chairman of the Presidency from June 2001 until February 2002. During his tenure, Križanović publicly supported Bosnia and Herzegovina's cooperation with international institutions, including cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and participated in inter-ethnic and state-building negotiations characteristic of the post-war period.

Choosing not to seek re-election in the 2002 general election, Križanović's term ended in October 2002. He was succeeded as the Croat member of the Presidency by HDZ BiH member Dragan Čović. Subsequently, a memorial session honoring him was held at the Parliamentary Assembly.