ČAVOŠKI: THWART FOREIGN FUNDING OF POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS

BELGRADE, FEBRUARY 9 /SRNA/ - Academician Kosta Čavoški says it is necessary to thwart any foreign funding of organisations dealing with politics, and pointed out that the claims that the law on non-profit organizations of Republika Srpska is an attack on civil society and freedom of expression are "stories for small children".

"In my opinion, the massive US aid sent to BiH went to Muslims and Croats, and, I assume, mostly to the opposition in Republika Srpska, which is opposed to the President of Srpska, Milorad Dodik," Čavoški told SRNA. He pointed out that so-called non-governmental organisations, which are not non-governmental at all, were financed with the money that came to Serbia through USAID. "Non-governmental organisations are the Red Cross or the Circle of Serbian Sisters, because they do not receive money, but live on voluntary contributions. However, when you receive money, either from a, US agency in Washington or from the European Commission in Brussels, then you are not an NGO, but a governmental organisation, only not an organisation of the Republika Srpska Government, but of the EU or the US government," emphasized Čavoški. He states Republika Srpska is not the only one to pass a law on non-governmental organisations, as such a law was passed much earlier in Hungary. In that country, Čavoški reminds, non-governmental organisations with money from abroad were used to undermine the party in power. Čavoški, who is a retired law professor, believes that it is necessary to thwart any foreign funding of organisations dealing with politics. "I have nothing against financing charitable organisations that take care of orphans or old people and similar, but I am against anyone being financed from abroad if they want to engage in politics," Čavoski said. Regarding accusations that the adoption of this law represents an attack on civil society and freedom of expression, Čavoški says that these are "stories for small children". "Opinion is controlled by preventing them from appearing in public media. They are not thwarted in this regard, they have their own media, probably there are TV stations in Republika Srpska working in favour of them, using it," said Čavoški. He believes that the control of the funding of non-governmental organisations cannot be considered as thwarting the right to speech. When it comes to the sanctions US President Donald Trump announced to be imposed on the International Criminal Court, Čavoški is not optimistic that this could mean that attacks on the sovereignty of states will no longer be tolerated.