Dimitri Kovachev
His Excellency Dimitri Kovachev | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Formal Portrait taken in 2010 | |
| President of Tengaria | |
| In office November 14, 1983 – March 2, 2014 | |
| Deputy | Vasil Radev (1983-1992) Hristophor Dragnov (1992-2006) Gregori Hakov (2006-2014) |
| Preceded by | Simeon Kovachev |
| Succeeded by | Teodora Kovacheva Gregori Hakov (acting President) |
| Head of the National Rally | |
| In office January 2, 1983 – March 2, 2014 | |
| Deputy | Radomir Nenev |
| Preceded by | Simeon Kovachev |
| Succeeded by | Teodora Kovacheva |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office November 14, 1976 – November 13, 1983 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dimitri Boris Kovachev January 22, 1945 Stelsti, Istros Tengaria |
| Died | March 2, 2014 (aged 69) Lenovo, Lenovo Tengaria |
| Nationality | Tengaria |
| Political party | National Rally |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | Anastasia Ivaneva (m. 1973) |
| Children | Teodora Kovacheva |
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|
| Alma mater | University of Lenovo |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Tengaria |
| Branch/service | Tengarian National Army |
| Years of service | 1966-1976 |
| Rank | Polkovnik |
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Dimitri Boris Kovachev (Tengarian: Димитри Борис Ковачев; January 22 1945-March 2 2014) was the seventh President of Tengaria and second head of the Tengarian National Rally from 1983 until his death in 2014, and the second Tengarian head of state from the Kovachev family. Less of an idealist than his father Simeon Kovachev and more of a pragmatist, he was a capable administrator who carried Tengaria through several troubling economic crises and troubles, and helped to modernize its economy and worked to make some of the political processes more in line with modern values, although he left behind a legacy of corruption and unpopularity.
He was born the youngest child and the youngest son of Simeon Kovachev and his wife Teodora in 1945 when his father was Field Marshal of the Tengarian National Army. By the time of his birth, his oldest brother Gregori Kovachev was already an aspring military officer and likely successor to his father's legacy. He was educated by a private tutor up until 1958, when he was put into one of his father's new schools. After completing his studies at the Universtiy of Lenovo, he joined the military, becoming commissioned in the Tengarian Army due to his connections in 1966. He served in the army for a decade, usually serving in administrative rather than combative roles. He married Anastasia Iveneva in 1973, and had one child, Teodora, in 1984.
After becoming a Polkovnik in the National Army, he later resigned his commission in order to take up a seat in the National Assembly of Tengaria in 1976. While there, he began to work his way into the inner workings of the National Rally, and was often called by his father to assist him in matters of state. With his administrative skill and affable nature, he quickly became one of the Rally's leading figures. Ivan Kovachev, Dimitri's nephew and a rising military officer, was expected to succeed Simeon. However, Ivan was assassinated in 1980 by the Tengarian Republican Army, leaving Dimitri the natural one to take up the leadership of Tengaria after his father's death. During the closing stages of Simeon Kovachev's rule, economic problems began to hit Tengaria, and the Sostava War raged in Tengaria's supporter, Soravia. Eventually, Simeon Kovachev finally died in 1983, and Dimitri took over leadership of National Rally.
He ran for election as President virtually unopposed, promising to keep his father's legacy intact. After winning the office in a landslide in November of 1983 at the relatively young age of 39, he immediately began a policy of reconciliation with Soravia, beginning talks which lead to Tengaria joining Samorspi in 1984. He worked to solve the financial crisis, and began to modernize and centralize the economy. Simeon kept his father's social policies in place while also working to keep Tengaria strong and up to date. In 1999, he updated the Constitution to limit Presidential terms to six years, but did not set any term limits. He won 3 more terms in the first three presidential elections after his constitutional reforms. However, corruption during his tenure skyrocketed, and doubts about the legitimacy of the elections he conducted or his handling of political opponents were raised by critics. Dimitri's popularity began to decrease as the years went on.
Eventually, Dimitri grew ill and died of cancer in 2014. He was succeeded in the presidency by his only child Teodora. In his 31 years as President, Dimitri left behind a mixed legacy. Unlike his father and his daughter, he was not very ideological, and never was very popular with the citizens of Tengaria. His legacy of corruption and poltical suppression also did not show favorably in his image. However, Dimitri also held the regime of National Rally intact and relevant without major opposition for years, including through difficult situations. It is said that without Dimitri's pragmatism, the idealism of Teodora would not be possible.