[1] During the early 1990s, Subotić was a commander in the Yugoslav People's Army (Jugoslovenska narodna armija, JNA) and subsequently in the Territorial Defence Force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On one occasion, Šešelj made reference to a statement given to the ICTY by Subotić, in which the latter indicated that he had only been present in Zvornik as a commander for a period of a week to ten days.
[3] In 2007, Subotić stated that ICTY prosecution witnesses had attempted to influence him to make false statements against Šešelj.
The governing Socialist Party of Serbia won the largest number of seats, but with 101 mandates out of 250 fell short of a majority.
[8] The Socialists won a clearer victory in this election, while the Radicals fell to thirty-nine seats and served in opposition for the next four years.
During this time, Subotić served as deputy minister of labour, employment, veterans' affairs, and social policy.
Subotić was a candidate for the Assembly of Vojvodina in the 2000 provincial election (which was held in September and October), running in Novi Sad's tenth division.
For this election, the entire country was designated as a single electoral division, and all mandates were awarded at the discretion of successful parties and coalitions, irrespective of the numerical order of the listed candidates.
Subotić again sought election to the Vojvodina assembly in 2004, running in Novi Sad's seventh division as a candidate of a citizens' group called "Community of Serbs of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina."
[20][21] He is now the vice-president of a caucus that includes Victory for Novi Sad and the Russian Party, which won one seat in the election.