An opposition leader from the Bosnian Serb-majority region told N1 on Thursday that a criminal complaint against the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency will be filed after the latter said he was wiretapping members of the opposition.
“We will persist,” Mirko Sarovic, the leader of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) said.
“It’s a dramatic moment, the first public confession of a high-level official. He must bear the consequences, while OSA (Bosnia’s secret service) must clearly state its position on whether they are behind this or whether this is illegal wiretapping – which I am sure it is,” he said.
Milorad Dodik, one of Bosnia’s Presidency members and the leader of the ruling party in Republika Srpska (RS), revealed during an RS National Assembly session on Wednesday that he had listened to phone conversations between opposition lawmakers.
He made the statement as he spoke to opposition lawmaker Drasko Stanivukovic, from the Party for Democratic Progress (PDP).
Dodik revealed that Stanivukovic will not be the joint opposition candidate for the position of the Banja Luka mayor because he does not have the SDS support, adding he knows this because he “listened” to their conversation.
He then asked Stanivukovic and SDS lawmaker Nebojsa Vukanovic whether it is true that one of them owes money to the other.
“Here, ask these people from the SDS about it, I listen to their phone conversations so I know. I have the right to listen to those. Once you are president, you will also have that right,” Dodik said.
He then asked the RS Interior Minister and member of his Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Dragan Lukac, to confirm that he submits the wiretaps to him.
“There is no government that doesn’t wiretap the opposition. So do we. Complain to Transparency (International), to your father, to whomever you want. I have the right to listen,” he said.
Sarovic compared the situation to the wiretapping scandal which shook Macedonia a few years ago.
“This is an important moment when we need to clear everything up and bring those who are behind this illegal job to justice,” he said.
