Andreo Marŝanto

Andreo Jurviko Marŝanto (born January 9, 1944) is a former Bijani judge, and was the 8th President of Bijan, serving from October 1, 2005 to October 1, 2011.

Early life
Andreo Marŝanto was born in Olvek. He was educated at Catholic primary and secondary schools, after which he attended the University of Hadar, where he graduated in arts and law. He also attended the Hague Academy of International Law.

Career
After graduation, he worked in the Office of the Attorney General in Hadar, and later in a private law firm. He spent time in Europe studying international law. He was admitted to the Bijani Bar in 1970 and also lectured in law at university.

During this time, Marŝanto was active in the Catholic community and was interested in politics. In 1968, he was briefly a member of the Democratic Party, a predominantly Catholic and anti-Communist party on the right side of Bijani politics. He soon became disillusioned with the party and played no further part in active politics, but he was strongly influenced by the progressive Catholic doctrines of social justice and opposition to racial discrimination.

Judicial career
In 1987, Marŝanto was appointed a judge at the district courts in Olvek. In 1992, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Bijan.

President
In 2005, the Parliamentary Committee on Nominations and Elections included Marŝanto's name in its list of potential nominees for President, to succeed outgoing President Hana Forĝisto, who was vacating the office eight months ahead of schedule. He resigned from the Supreme Court in May 2005. Although not a frontrunner initially, Marŝanto emerged as a suitable compromise candidate during the first two rounds of voting, as neither candidate most favored by the two major parliamentary blocs was seen as likely to win a two-thirds majority vote. Marŝanto was elected on the third ballot, with 77.3% of the votes (231 out of 299 votes).

Marŝanto surprised the nation in the spring of 2011, when he announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and that he would not seek a second term as President. He vacated the office at noon on October 1, 2011, and was succeeded by Ksenia Brulemo.

Personal life
Marŝanto married Dorotea Rejnardo in 1968. They had four children: Asna (b. 1970), Rikardo (b. 1973), Dona (1978–1999) and Karlo (b. 1981). On October 30, 1999, his daughter Dona was killed in a traffic accident at the age of 21.

Shortly after leaving office, Marŝanto announced he would write his memoir with the assistance of his wife and elder son. The manuscript, Karaj Biĵanoj, was published in January 2013. The rapid progression of his Alzheimer's disease prevented him from engaging in heavy promotion for the release, and his final public appearance was in June 2013.

In February 2014, Marŝanto's younger son Karlo stated in an interview that his father had been moved into a 24-hour care facility, and was no longer able to recognize family members. He also said that the family noticed the first symptoms of his disease as early as 1996.