Šabić one thing, Karamehmedović another: The 'Troika' heard everyone but there's no concrete solution, politics without agreement on a new law

(Patria) - A meeting was held in the BiH Federation Government building between representatives of the 'Troika' parties (NIP, SDP, Naša stranka), Elektroprivreda BiH, and the general directors of BHRT and FTV, Belmin Karamehmedović and Džemal Šabić, regarding the current situation at the Radio Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The president of NIP, Elmedin Konaković, stated that the 'Troika' offered some solutions to the general directors and that they were given some time to consider the agreement.

The president of NIP emphasized that the functioning of BHRT is a priority, as well as Federal Television, which he said must also continue to operate stably.

FTV Director Džemal Šabić stated that the conclusion of the meeting is that if the BHRT director, Belmin Karamehmedović, signs an agreement with Elektroprivreda, as it was before, or signs an annex to the agreement for three months so that the collection of fees can continue and workers do not suffer, then FTV is ready to take a new step.

Šabić once again stressed that FTV does not owe BHRT.

"All audits can confirm that for me. For the use of resources at BHRT, FTV paid 400,000 KM per month. We do not owe a single mark to BHRT," said Šabić.

He added that BHRT is delaying the signing of the agreement with EP BiH, and that workers are being used as hostages.

He also stated that politics has the legal right to change the management of FTV.

BHRT Director Belmin Karamehmedović points out that he does not know what will happen with the workers' salaries, given that the item for RTV fee payment was omitted from the electricity bills in January, but he agrees with the 'Troika's' proposal.

"BHRT has proposed a fairer and more legal distribution of the fee collected in the Federation of BiH through the Elektroprivreda BiH bills in the coming period. Unfortunately, today the general director of RTV FBiH insisted that things remain as they are, and unfortunately, this is not acceptable for BHRT because this method of fee collection and the illegal retention of funds by FTV belonging to RTRS has led us to a situation where we are left without any funding," said Karamehmedović.

"In other words, the ball is no longer in our court. We think that this offer is fair and more in line with the law compared to what we have had for the last six years... We are doing everything possible to try to secure salaries for the workers first, and then to solve this problem more broadly," said Karamehmedović.

The general director of BHRT stated that he is ready to bear all consequences of any mistakes he may have made in his work.

"There certainly were some, but this situation in which BHRT finds itself was not caused by the management of the Radio Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it occurred simply because the Law on the Public RTV System, adopted in 2005 by the Parliament, is not being respected, and the disrespect was first caused by the Radio Television of Republika Srpska, and then consequently continued by the disrespect from the Television of the Federation."

The Minister of Transport and Communications of BiH, Edin Forto, stated after today's meeting with the management of BHRT and FTV that the 'Troika' offered solutions, and it is up to the public services to consider them.

"I don't know if this has happened before, but there is some kind of misunderstanding between these two sides. Today was a kind of confrontation. Everything passed in a civilized conversation. We, as the 'Troika', offered some solutions, it's up to them to think about them. We want strong public services, for both BHRT and FTV to operate stably and to be that kind of free voice in our media space," says Forto.

He believes that the problems started when RTRS left the agreement and stopped paying its share of the RTV fee in 2017.

"That's in court. When you sue someone, you wait for a court decision," says Forto.

The way out of the situation is a new law that will apply throughout the country and that everyone will respect.

When asked if he has collaborators in Milorad Dodik and Željka Cvijanović, Forto said that he has not yet managed to reach a consensus on the text of the new law.

"It's not just about SNSD and parties from RS, but you also have HDZ and the 'Troika', and everyone has a vision of how it should look," said Forto.