The Prime Minister of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity, Radovan Viskovic, said on Tuesday that he believes a document that appeared in local media saying the United States provided $10 million for the election campaign of an opposition politician, which the US Embassy called an “amateurish forgery”, is genuine and called on BiH’s Central Election Commission (CEC) to investigate the matter.
The controversial memo appeared shortly after allegations based on statements of a US official who said Russia financed the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the ruling party in the RS, appeared in local media.
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The alleged memo which began spreading on social media said that the opposition candidate for President of the RS from the Party for Democratic Progress (?D?), Jelena Trivic, received the funds from the US.
“That is rock bottom. It will cost the RS. All those who give their money don't give it for no reason, they don't give it because they love anyone in the RS, but those behind that money have their own demands and interests. Those interests are not aimed at strengthening the RS, but at weakening and abolishing the jurisdiction of the RS,” said Viskovic, who is a member of the SNSD.
“I absolutely do not approve of this kind of meddling in the election cycle and I think that the CEC should get involved in investigating it, if any of that is true, Mrs. Trivic and her party must face the strictest sanctions from the CEC. I'm just asking how they would react if such a paper appeared, and if it was SNSD or some party from the current majority,” he said.
Viskovic also commented on the numerous grammatical errors in the document, saying this does not prove the memo is fake.
“Did you receive the money or not? How will that money be used and against whom? If that money came, it will be exclusively intended against the interests of the RS,” he said, arguing that US envoys Matthew Palmer and Gabriel Escobar could be behind it.
“Don't forget that Palmer and Escobar are mentioned there, they did talk, obviously they were arranging something. Escobar himself, in the US Congress, when he explained his activities in these areas, said that he agreed on some steps and measures with the opposition in the RS. Obviously, those steps are these 10 million,” Viskovic said.
PDP leader, Branislav Borenovic, denied the claims and said that BiH Presidency member and SNSD leader, Milorad Dodik, authored the memo.
“They made some kind of text that is so corrupt, stupid and false and those who published it will have to face consequences,” he said, adding that these are primarily the SRNA news agency, the RS public broadcaster, RTRS, and ATV.
“The so-called factories of lies that publish so many falsified documents that it became clear and obvious to every person in this country. And that won't help them, the regime is in a desperate state and they're losing elections and they don't shy away from various disturbing hoaxes, which we're used to, but we expected them to be a little more precise,” he said.
The US Embassy said on Monday that the alleged memo is a “cheap political trick, which is not based on the truth and it is surprising that considering its amateurish content, it has also misled some politicians in the country.”
“For example, Dayton is spelled with an “a” not an “e”, which is completely clear from the original Dayton Peace Agreement,” the US Embassy told N1.
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