Suljagić sends letter to FTV: I will not participate in the debate

Emir Suljagić, candidate of the Democratic Front-Željko Komšić for a member of the BiH Presidency, sent a letter to the editorial office of the Radio Television of Federation of BiH today, informing them that he will not participate in the planned presidential debates on FTV due to the privileged treatment of the candidate who currently holds the position. The letter states:

- I wish to inform you herewith that I will not participate in the debate of candidates for a member of the BiH Presidency scheduled for October 6, 2014. 

This decision has nothing to do with my views on the editorial policy of your house, but should contribute to the equal treatment of all candidates for a member of the BiH Presidency. I believe that in this case, the usual practice of confronting candidates for the same position, i.e., for the same seat, in a television debate has been bypassed, and that, in accordance with democratic standards, the one who performs that job should answer questions about the past four years.

I believe that this gives a privileged position to the candidate who currently holds the position of a member of the BiH Presidency, and I invite him once again to a debate under equal conditions with all candidates for the position of a member of the BiH Presidency from the Bosniak people. 

I invite FTV to, as there is still time, organize a presidential debate, as BHRT has done, or as NTV Hayat and TV1 have jointly organized, in which all ten candidates for a member of the BiH Presidency from the Bosniak people will be invited under equal conditions. 

Therefore, I will rather spend my time talking directly with the citizens of BiH and presenting them with my vision and my plan for BiH, than participating in a debate where I cannot ask questions to which I know they also want to hear the answer, the letter states.