Even before the recent statement by Presidency member Milorad Dodik, The Party for Democratic Progress (PDP) suspected that its lawmakers might have been wiretapped but there was nobody to report it to because all the institutions in Bosnia’s Serb-majority region are under Dodik’s control, PDP lawmaker Igor Crnadak told N1 on Tuesday.
“We were not sure until that day when Mr. Dodik said it publicly. I think he was out of control, he got ahead of himself. I think that he only tried to explain that it was a joke after he realised what he said,” Crnadak said.
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Dodik, the leader of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) in Bosnia’s semi-autonomous Republika Srpska (RS) region, made the wiretapping claim as he spoke at a session of the RS parliament last week.
He revealed to PDP’s Drasko Stanivukovic that he will not be the joint opposition candidate for the position of the Banja Luka mayor because he is not supported by the Serb Democratic Party (SDS).
“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.
Dodik 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.
Dodik’s wiretapping claims caused a public uproar and opposition leaders, as well as representatives of Transparency International (TI), submitted criminal complaints against him.
A day later, Dodik and members of his party tried to downplay the statement, claiming he was not being serious when he talked about wiretapping. According to the Bosnian Serb leader, he was only “teasing” the opposition in the RS.
When N1 asked Crnadak why his party never reported the wiretapping if it suspected it was happening, Crnadak asked: “to whom?”
“It makes no sense reporting it to institutions in the RS which are completely under the control of Dodik and his party. When he said he listened in on the opposition, he said he did that through the Ministry of Interior. We had nobody to report this to and I still doubt that this will be resolved,” he said.
Crnadak added that his party boss, Borislav Borenovic, submitted a complaint to the state Prosecutor’s Office after Dodik’s statement.
