VZCZCXRO5309
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0189/01 0641234
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051234Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5820
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3661

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000189 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: SDSM PARTY CONGRESS SHOWCASES NEW 
UNITY, BUT OLD INTRAMURAL TENSIONS LINGER 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) On February 24, Macedonia's biggest opposition 
party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), held 
its 7th congress in Skopje under the slogan "Trust, Unity and 
Success." Although barely mentioned in the next day's papers, 
the congress showed the new and more polished face of a party 
whose image has been tarnished by in-fighting since its 
electoral defeat in July 2006.  The congress was devoid of 
party intrigue, and highlighted SDSM,s new leader, Radmila 
Sekerinska, in a carefully scripted, self-confident 
demonstration of resolve.  Although the congress showcased a 
party that appears to be unifying around her youthful 
dynamism, Sekerinska will not be able to consolidate her 
control over SDSM until her rivalry with former SDSM 
president and ex-Prime Minister Buckovski is trully resolved. 
Moreover, SDSM will not be fully Sekerinska's party as long 
as President Crvenkovski continues to wield influence over 
the party through his lieutenants in the SDSM leadership. 
End summary. 
 
 
SELF-FLAGELLATION 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The biggest opposition party in Parliament, 
eMacedonian SDSM, held its 7th congress on February 24 in 
Skopje. In a departure from SDSM's past party congresses, the 
congress began with presentations by six invited vocal 
critics of the party. The six critics -- affiliated with 
NGOs, the media, healthcare, and the business sector -- 
reflected Macedonia,s ethnic and religious diversity, with 
four eMacedonians, one Macedonian Muslim, and one eAlbanian 
represented.  Each critic spoke openly about the party's 
shortcomings, including SDSM,s alleged "absence of a core 
ideology," "arrogance," "indecisiveness," "unfriendliness 
toward the media," and "dishonesty" in the ranks of the party 
leadership and rank and file.  Despite the harshness of those 
messages, the six critics all received thunderous applause 
from the 600 or so SDSM delegates.  Although fairly well 
attended by journalists, the event did not get front-page 
coverage the next day; the government-owned news service MIA 
failed to mention it at all. 
 
 
NEW LEADER, NEW MESSAGES 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Emerging from the crowd in a dramatic entrance, SDSM 
President Sekerinska delivered a speech that energized the 
delegates and echoed some of the themes addressed by the six 
independent critics.  Confident, photogenic and 
well-prepared, Sekerinska stressed the need to address the 
party,s shortcomings while preserving it as the party of 
"peace, stability, tolerance, secularism and political 
dialogue." Sekerinska lamented the citizens, loss of trust 
in politicians, capacity to solve real problems, assigning 
part of the blame for that to her own party.  Pledging an end 
to the "blame game," however, she said that her focus would 
be on solving problems, rather than just talking about them. 
In that light, Sekerinska mentioned that the current 
government had made a number of mistakes, but she also 
recognized the government,s accomplishments, which she said 
deserved the public's support. 
 
 
JABS AT PARTY RIVAL BUCKOVSKI 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Despite a generally tolerant atmosphere, including 
acceptance of dissenting views, Sekerinska did not miss the 
opportunity to indirectly and publicly jab at her party 
rival, former SDSM leader and ex-Prime Minister Buckovski, 
pointing out that those in the party who criticized SDSM 
today had contributed to the party,s negative image in the 
past. In addition, she apologized to ex-SDSM member Tito 
Petkovski, another rival of Buckovski's who left the party in 
November 2005 to form the New Social Democratic Party (NSDP), 
currently a junior coalition partner in the government. 
Sekerinska referred to Petkovski and others as "sincere 
supporters" who had been let down by the old SDSM, another 
indirect jab at Buckovski.  She added that she wanted people 
to trust SDSM as a party "with a set of identifiable values." 
 Buckovski, for his part, dropped several initiatives he had 
proposed that would have weakened the role of the party 
president, given Sekerinska's overwhelming support among the 
delegates. 
 
SKOPJE 00000189  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) The well-orchestrated SDSM congress showcased a 
party that appears to have overcome its post-election 
leadership crisis as it unifies around Sekerinska's youthful 
dynamism and optimism.  The congress ran smoothly and 
decisions were passed unanimously.  Post-congress discussions 
with senior SDSM leaders confirmed that the congress had been 
carefully planned to show a new SDSM that looks confidently 
at the future, yet is not afraid to confront its past. 
Despite the appearance of emerging party unity, however, 
Sekerinska,s jabs at Buckovski underscore that the rift 
between her and the former SDSM leader is not yet resolved: 
We believe SDSM has made some progress in overcoming its 
internal divisions, but that process will remain incomplete 
as long as Buckovski lurks in the wings as a potential 
challenger, and as long as Sekerinska remains partially in 
the shadow of President Crvenkovski, a former SDSM president, 
who continues to influence the party through his lieutenants 
in the SDSM leadership. 
WOHLERS