. ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁career ▁ Ć iri ć ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ni š , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ser bia ▁in ▁the ▁Federal ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁Y ug oslav ia . ▁R ais ed ▁in ▁the ▁city , ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁electronic ▁engineering ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁ Ć iri ć ▁joined ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁executive ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁and ▁led ▁the ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁Ni š ▁municipal ▁assembly ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁organ izing ▁protest s ▁against ▁Y ug oslav ▁president ▁S lob od an ▁Mil o še vić . ▁ ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Ni š ▁ Ć iri ć ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁the ▁mayor ▁of ▁Ni š ▁in ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁succeed ing ▁fellow ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁member ▁Z or an ▁Ž iv k ović . ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁ Ć iri ć ▁hosted ▁tal ks ▁between ▁Mil o še vi ċ ' s ▁newly ▁elected ▁successor ▁V oj is lav ▁Ko št un ica ▁and ▁Bulgar ian ▁president ▁Pet ar ▁Sto yan ov . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁ Ć iri ć ▁and ▁his ▁Bulgar ian ▁counter parts ▁sought ▁to ▁construct ▁a ▁highway