Nikšić: Selection of Draško Milinović as candidate for RAK director is a product of political pressure

(Patria) - President of the Social Democratic Party of BiH Nermin Nikšić, regarding the selection of Draško Milinović as a candidate for the position of director of the Communications Regulatory Agency of BiH, sent a letter to the Council of Ministers of BiH, the collegiums of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, the OHR, the OSCE, and the embassies of the member countries of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC).
 
„I wish to draw your attention to how the state of emergency, i.e., the state of natural disaster caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, is being used to make catastrophic decisions that will have consequences and endanger human rights, freedom, and democracy in our country. Namely, at a time when public attention is focused on the fight against the pandemic, the Council of the Communications Regulatory Agency of BiH, on April 24, 2020, made a decision at a telephone session to select Draško Milinović for the position of RAK director. 

The selection of Draško Milinović as a candidate at the session of the RAK Council is a product of political pressure and more than questionable. Namely, he was not the best candidate until the very vote, as testified by the former president of the RAK Council, who resigned from his position on April 27, 2020, precisely because of his appointment. I am not among those who judge others based on their political affiliation, but on how they perform their jobs. Therefore, I see no need to problematize the fact that Draško Milinović served as chief of staff to the President of Republika Srpska (RS) during the mandate of Milorad Dodik, as well as during the mandate of Željka Cvijanović.

Namely, what I find problematic is the manner in which he performed the function of director of the public service Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS), up until his candidacy for the RAK director competition. From everything he did and how he acted in that position, it is completely clear that he was appointed there as an obedient cadre to implement the policies of the SNSD and its leader. That this was indeed the case is best seen from the fact that the current composition of the RAK Council, during its regular mandate (2014-2018) and in the technical mandate after the expiry of the regular one (2018-2020), issued 19 enforcement measures against the public service RTRS, including against the director personally. The total amount of fines based on the imposed measures is 246,600 KM, and this only because the Agency Council, taking into account the financial difficulties of RTRS as part of the Public Service of BiH, reduced part of the fines compared to the first-instance penalties. Had the Agency Council not shown leniency, the fines, paid from the subscription fees paid by citizens and the budget of the National Assembly of RS as the founder, due to established multiple violations, would have amounted to over 500,000 KM.

One of the measures (adopted on August 29, 2017) due to non-implementation of Agency decisions and violation of the Agency's laws and rules also included a fine of 15,000 KM against Draško Milinović, as the responsible person. Therefore, Draško Milinović, the current candidate of the Agency Council for the new general director, in his previous work as the head of RTRS, clearly confirmed his commitment that laws and regulations in BiH do not have to be respected. Executing the orders of his political mentors, due to the director's stance, RTRS was penalized, among other things, for biased reporting during the pre-election campaign for the General Elections in 2018. In this way, according to the opinion of the Agency Council, damage was done by depriving the public of being fairly, impartially, and objectively informed by RTRS as a Public Service in BiH, which is financed from the subscription fees collected from all citizens, not only those who support the political party favored by Mr. Milinović.

Not to mention how during his mandate at RTRS, everything related to any civic protest in RS was completely censored, especially the public's insistence on resolving the murder known as “justice for David”, that every critical review by independent intellectuals in BiH of the situation in the RS entity was avoided, the opposition was prevented from having media space, and facts established by the judgment of the International Court in The Hague regarding the genocide in Srebrenica were denied countless times.

From all the above, it is completely clear that Draško Milinović, the proposal of the RAK Council, which had penalized him, for general director actually came as a result of political pressure from the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats and their leader Milorad Dodik. I consider it completely unacceptable that he should even be a candidate, let alone possibly perform such a responsible and important function. 

I sincerely hope that we share a common commitment when it comes to strengthening the independence of state institutions, the independence and objectivity of the media, the rights of journalists, and the freedom of all citizens to be objectively informed. Precisely because of this, I express serious concern and opposition to a man who, in his previous work as director of RTRS, was the personification of everything opposite being appointed director of the Communications Regulatory Agency.
 
I wish to note that the purpose of RAK's existence, modeled on similar institutions in Europe, is founded on the principles of independence, implementation of regulation and monitoring of compliance with laws and rules, and ensuring technical, financial, and personnel prerequisites for the efficient execution of tasks. RAK's tasks are what constitute its basic mission. The Agency's mission is, among other things, the continuous development of media freedoms for the benefit of all citizens and society as a whole. Personally, as a representative and president of the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I feel responsible for the future independence of institutions like RAK. Unlike some members of the RAK Council, I believe that any politicization and political monopoly by the ruling parties can lead to unforeseeable consequences, in such a way that part of the public services, as well as private media, are either brought under control or, due to constant pressures, their purpose of existence is relativized, and their work completely made impossible.

That is why I am addressing you in this way and calling on you, in accordance with your competencies and all available means, to influence the halting of the upcoming procedure regarding the appointment of Draško Milinović as director of RAK. I believe that this would permanently jeopardize the survival of independent media, and consequently undermine the development of democracy and democratic society in Bosnia and Herzegovina“, states Nikšić in his letter.