Presidency member demands time slot for his TV appearance

PIXSELL/Samir Yordamoviç

Bosnia's Presidency member Mladen Ivanic wrote to the Republika Srpska (RS) entity public television station (RTRS) expressing discontent over the fact that they still have not responded to his inquiry about the time and date of his appearance in their program.

“Dear editorial board of the RTRS, I kindly ask that you send me the date of my TV appearance in your program, which you've, I'm sure, set already, with respect to the Law on RTRS,” Mladen Ivanic, who is Bosnia's tripartite Presidency member from the Serb-dominated RS entity, wrote to the RTRS, which is part of Bosnia's public broadcasting service.

He recalled that the Law on the RTRS stipulates that this TV station must provide equal representation to all political representatives from this entity, regardless of possible opinions of the ruling structure, political parties or various interest groups from this entity.

“Unlike all my previous letters which you've ignored or sent some meaningless responses to, I believe you will respond to this letter,” he added. “I also believe you care very much about the equal treatment of all political subjects in the RS, especially considering that fact that I won over 317,000 votes from RS residents during the previous election.”

Ivanic's letter was prompted by the RTRS’ show where they hosted RS President Milorad Dodik, from the opposing Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) party, which is the ruling party in the RS, but Ivanic's Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) forms the Government at the state level.

In the said show devoted solely to Dodik, Ivanic said the RS President told a series of untruths and alleged insults against him. He warned that the show was aired dangerously close to the beginning of the pre-election campaign which is even more significant considering the fact that Ivanic and Dodik are opposing candidates at the upcoming October general election for the position of Bosnia's Presidency member from the RS.