VZCZCXRO9362
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVJ #1195/01 1461531
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261531Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3597
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUFOAOA/USNIC SARAJEVO PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SARAJEVO 001195 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR (DICARLO), D (SMITH), P (BAME), EUR/SCE 
(ENGLISH, SAINZ, FOOKS), NSC FOR BRAUN, USNIC FOR WEBER, 
GREGORIAN, OSD FOR FLORY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: HIGH REPRESENTATIVE DELIVERS "100 DAYS" 
SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS MCELHANEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (D). 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY.  In an effort to rally the parliament of 
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to pass significant pre-election 
reforms, High Representative Christian Schwarz-Schilling 
delivered his "100 days" speech on May 24.  The theme 
referred to what Schwarz-Schilling has seen during his first 
100 days as High Representative, as well as what the 
Parliament can accomplish in the 100 days left to it prior to 
national elections in October.  Schwarz-Schilling proclaimed 
that his first 100 days in office have convinced him to 
maintain his "hands-off approach"; he maintained that BiH has 
all the resources it needs without intervention from the 
international community. He commented on the progress BiH has 
made since his tenure as High Representative, but then 
focused on what he deemed "a darker side of political life" 
in BiH -- those areas where politicians and parliamentarians 
had failed to put the country's best interests before their 
own.  He challenged parliament to support a range of reforms 
in the next 100 days which, in his opinion, would directly 
benefit voters.  However, the mood of the parliament was one 
of disinterest, marred by Serb parliamentarians' plans to 
walk out and shut down Parliament over a domestic issue 
immediately following the High Rep's speech.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) In a speech before the Bosnian Parliament, High 
Representative Christian Schwarz-Schilling reinforced his 
approach as a hands-off High Representative who expects the 
Bosnians to fully own their political process in advance of 
OHR's planned phaseout in mid-2007.  Schwarz-Schilling told 
parliamentarians that, as he stepped back, their 
responsibility is to step up and carry out the reforms that 
will bring Bosnia and its citizens forward.  The High Rep 
reminded parliamentarians that those elected in October will 
have to govern on their own in the coming year, without the 
intervention of the international community.  He cited 
Bosnia's strong democratic institutions, the highly 
professional negotiating team leading European Union (EU) 
talks, and young people who want to play a role in BiH's 
future as reasons why he is confident that BiH can direct its 
own destiny. He also lauded Bosnia's entrepreneurs, the 
international success of the Bosnian film "Grbavica", and 
Bosnia's recent third place showing in the Eurovision song 
contest.  Schwarz-Schilling then moved on to what he dubbed 
the "darker side" of Bosnian politics:  corruption, a lack of 
responsibility and a lack of political courage.  As examples, 
Schwarz-Schilling cited the current deadlock on police 
reform, the disunity of Mostar's city government (Mostar 
remains the only major municipality in BiH that has not yet 
adopted its 2006 budget), and the BiH House of 
Representative's "no" vote on constitutional reform. 
 
¶3.  (U)  In the lead-up to his speech, rumors abounded that 
Schwarz-Schilling would name the names of those who, in his 
mind, were obstructing key reforms.  The closest he came to 
doing so, however, was when he criticized the parliament for 
not seizing on what he called "a window of history - an 
occasion to leap forward."  Because of a small number of 
people who did not have the political courage to vote for the 
reforms, the rest of the country was left stranded, he noted. 
 Schwarz-Schilling also warned that rejecting broadcasting 
reform or police reform will slow progress toward Europe. 
Europe is watching, he cautioned, and the EU is in no mood to 
accept anything less than what it has clearly set out as key 
conditions. 
 
¶4.  (C) Exhorting the Bosnians to action, Schwarz-Schilling 
listed the reforms he would like to see Bosnia's parliament 
enact in the next 100 days: passing a higher education law 
that would harmonize standards and testing across the 
country; the Law on Obligations; the Salary Law; creating a 
Central Banking Supervision system; the Law on the National 
Fiscal Council; the Pharmaceuticals Law; changes to the 
criminal code to strengthen the judiciary; the Broadcasting 
Law; and police reform. 
 
¶5. (C) COMMENT.  While well intended, Schwarz-Schilling's 
words were not taken as the serious reform challenge that he 
had hoped for.  With Schwarz-Schilling's own professed "hands 
off" theme taking center stage, his reform agenda is not seen 
as something he will aggressively push.  Responding to 
references in the speech aimed at the Republika Srpska's 
blocking of police reform, RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik 
commented that he does not believe he is responsible for 
 
SARAJEVO 00001195  002 OF 002 
 
 
halting police reform, nor does he expect sanctions from the 
High Representative as a result.  Further, parliamentarians 
were visibly distracted during the High Rep's speech by the 
brewing showdown between parliamentarians and PM Terzic on a 
domestic issue:  Terzic's refusal to establish a commission 
to investigate war crimes in Sarajevo (in defiance of a 
parliamentary decision).  Immediately following the speech, 
the Bosnian Serb parties walked out of Parliament, 
effectively blocking any further business due to the lack of 
a sufficient quorum.  The timing of this walk out could not 
have been worse for the High Representative's message -- the 
Parliament kicked off Schwarz-Schilling's 100 days of reforms 
with a boycott.  (Note:  The Council of Ministers met on May 
25 and approved the commission, eliminating the crisis for 
the time being.)  Regardless, the High Rep's message fell 
flat, and it is unclear whether OHR will invest the energy 
and follow-through needed to prompt further Bosnian reforms 
before October elections.  END COMMENT. 
MCELHANEY