KV SBiH: Our Party Demands Empathy from the Public for a Minister in Custody, While Seeking to Exclude a Witness from Media Space

(Patria) - Regarding the internal memo sent to the media by Our Party, in which they "instruct" the media on how to report on the Bošnjak case and the matter of issuing a positive opinion on the Strategic Assessment for the Bjelašnica site, the Cantonal Council of the Party for BiH has reacted.

"We note that in the past period, the position of Minister Bojan Bošnjak has been grossly jeopardized in the public eye, in a way that certain media outlets gave space and affirmed the views and statements of the party that appears as a witness in the process," states the internal memo of Our Party, about which the Cantonal Council of the Party for BiH says: "The author of these lines appears as a witness in the process, and I was a guest on certain media outlets, discussing the Strategic Assessment and events in the Ministry related to it."

"Our Party quietly 'suggests' to the media not to affirm the views or give space to ANYONE who will not speak affirmatively about the 'Bošnjak' case. What Our Party omits in its address is that the minister did something that resulted in custody, first for one month, then for two months," the statement says.

"Our Party omits that the result of the custody is the illegal conduct of the minister, which was affirmatively encouraged by certain individuals and resulted in three (3) months of custody. At the same time, three (3) previous ministers in charge refused to sign the Strategic Assessment until Minister Bošnjak took over the relevant Ministry. How to write or speak affirmatively about a person who receives three (3) months of custody, and how to say anything affirmatively if a document is signed after four (4) years and the refusal of three (3) ministers to sign it," they ask in the statement.

The statement, signed by the president of the Cantonal Council of the Party for BiH, Almir Bečarević, emphasizes: "The author of these lines was not sent by the party to the position of minister to commit crimes, but presumably to work lawfully and honestly and not to end up in such a situation. Our Party found a person who would commit crimes, and certain individuals encouraged Mr. Bošnjak to do so. Millions (of marks) were placed before the law, and now Our Party 'sheds tears' over the fate of Mr. Bošnjak, yet did nothing to prevent him in the process of issuing a positive opinion. They drove Mr. Bošnjak into custody and now want affirmative writing about the former minister, while the evidence is clear and precise. They destroyed a man's life in the same way as with the confirmed indictment for the utility company KJKP RAD."

"The Party for BiH, upon entering the Government of the Canton, i.e., its cadres, took an oath, and that guided us in our work, and that oath gives us the right to be witnesses and to speak the truth about the Bjelašnica case, as well as any other. Our Party wants to discipline the media, and we strongly oppose that, because we believe the public has the right to know about events in the Government and everything that contributed to the imposition of custody. Our Party should learn from the Bjelašnica and RAD cases, because they convinced the public they were different, but they became worse than those they similarly called out and judged even before a final verdict," the statement reads.

As they say, "The Cantonal Council of the Party for BiH understands that Our Party, for reasons known to them, claims the 'most civic' and 'most European' right in the political space to give lessons on media reporting and testifying in criminal proceedings, but even if it comes from the 'good people' of Our Party, enough is enough."

"Finally, what kind of society is it when, according to Our Party's understanding, empathy should be given to a person in custody, while a witness is avoided in the media, and every other, space," the statement concludes.