The Central Election Commission (CEC) has penalized the Draško Stanivuković – Safe Serb Movement (PSS) coalition with 5,000 KM following an initiative by Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina for premature election campaigning and misuse of public resources at a party gathering with pensioners, where Draško Stanivuković promoted measures financed by the City of Banja Luka and announced actions after the elections.
The CEC determined that Stanivuković’s speech constituted premature election campaigning and misuse of public funds and resources, although it recently failed to even initiate proceedings in an almost identical case against Željka Cvijanović and Savo Minić (SNSD), who spoke to pensioners about votes, pension increases, and public funds at the government’s disposal.
The decision to penalize PSS was adopted by votes of all five CEC members present, and the fine will be borne in equal parts by the coalition members Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) and Independent Movement “Our Own Way” (NPSP).
City measures promoted at party gathering
The gathering with pensioners was not organized as an activity of the City of Banja Luka, but as a meeting of the political entity at which PSS flags were displayed. Stanivuković spoke about measures implemented by the City Administration, but also about actions that PSS will carry out after the elections.
He presented the free monthly passes for pensioners financed by the City of Banja Luka as a kind of thirteenth pension, and also spoke about an earlier attempt to introduce discounts for pensioners when purchasing basic necessities, claiming that the SNSD prevented the implementation of that project.
He then announced measures that will be implemented at the level of Republika Srpska if PSS receives citizen support:
“Pensioners and all citizens will be invited to implement a policy that we will carry out in the first 100 days when we receive the support of our citizens. It will mean that there is no VAT on something that means life, and that is medicine.”
TI BiH stated in its complaint that Stanivuković, appearing as president of the political entity, attributed to himself and the party credit for measures implemented using budgetary funds of the City of Banja Luka, and then sought citizen support and announced actions after the elections.
The CEC determined that he thereby conducted an election campaign before its official start and misused public funds and resources in the part relating to the prohibition of using a leadership position to promote oneself as a candidate. The explanation stated that Stanivuković’s presence at the event as mayor and representative of the political entity is not disputed, but rather that he used his position in the City Administration and public funds to promote PSS.
Penalty for PSS, no proceedings for Cvijanović and Minić
Such a decision is difficult to reconcile with the CEC’s earlier handling of TI BiH’s complaint against BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović and Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić for their addresses at a gathering of the RS Pensioners’ Association, which is financed from the budget and which publicly supported SNSD candidates in the last elections.
Minić spoke directly about votes at the gathering:
“Whoever asks for votes must work. And when they do the work, when they do something like what we heard President Cvijanović has done, then it comes by itself.”
Cvijanović announced to pensioners increases in both regular and extraordinary pensions, said that “the premier has the money,” that it is “best to be on good terms” with him, and conveyed that they would “repay” them.
The CEC did not see premature campaigning, misuse of resources, or use of a leadership position to promote these two candidates at that time. It was concluded that these statements do not seek support for a political party or candidate because no party name, specific candidate, or political program was mentioned, and it assessed the messages largely as “simple statements and jokes exchanged with attendees of the gathering.” Proceedings ex officio were not even initiated, and Commission members did not discuss or vote on the complaint.
In the new CEC decision, however, it explicitly states that the existence of an election campaign does not require an explicit call to vote, but that it is sufficient for the communication to contain elements that can influence voters’ electoral preferences.
The CEC thus penalized PSS for promoting government measures, seeking support, and announcing future actions, but did not even initiate proceedings in a case where there was open discussion of votes, pension increases, and public funds at the government’s disposal.
TI BiH has previously pointed out that the CEC has raised the threshold of tolerance and that numerous examples of misuse of public resources and premature campaigning go without sanctions.
Additional 3,500 KM for television appearance
At the same session, PSS was penalized with an additional 3,500 KM following another TI BiH complaint for a media appearance by Nataša Miljanović-Zubac, who sent pre-election messages before the campaign began.
Speaking about her transition from journalism to politics, she conveyed, among other things, that she believes PSS “will not be in opposition from October,” adding that she hopes citizens will recognize people who want everyone to “live with human dignity.”
 has penalized the Draško Stanivuković – Safe Serb Movement (PSS) coalition with 5,000 KM following an initiative by Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina){kind=link}