After being forced out of power in early 1989 by Milo Đukanović, Svetozar Marović and Momir Bulatović in the wake of "anti-bureaucratic revolution", the 58-year-old Ivanović semi-retired from politics though he still continued holding official rank and fringe influence within Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (transformed Montenegrin branch of Yugoslav Communist League) for some time afterwards.
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For years Ivanović steadily moved up the ladder in the Montenegrin branch of League of Communists of Yugoslavia, while simulatenously performing various public duties like that of the general director of TV Titograd.
Ana Ivanovic | Ljubomir Ivanović | Ljubomir Ivanovic | '''Ivan Ivanović''' | Duško Ivanović | Katarina Ivanović | Božina Ivanović |
Within days in January 1989, the trio ousted Miljan Radović, the chairman of the Montenegrin Communist League and Božina Ivanović, the Presidents of the Presidency of Montenegro, replacing them with politically obedient confidants Veselin Vukotić and Branko Kostić, respectively.