VZCZCXRO1474
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVB #1421 3331453
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291453Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6982
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001421 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV HR
SUBJECT: PROGRESS MADE IN MINORITY EMPLOYMENT, BUT OBSTACLES 
PERSIST 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: A November 27 roundtable discussion 
sponsored jointly by the Parliament, GOC and OSCE Mission 
highlighted progress made by local and regional administrations in 
employing minorities (mainly ethnic Serbs), while Serb politicians 
complained about delays in implementing the relevant provisions of 
the 2002 Constitutional Law on National Minorities.  A GOC official 
asserted that the 2007 plan for employment in the State 
administration will include provisions for employment of ethnic 
minorities.  A member of the EC delegation at the event told the 
Embassy that the GOC's inability to produce accurate and timely 
statistics hurt its case; he also noted that the CLNM was one of the 
"most generous" minority laws in Europe and would be difficult for 
any country to implement completely.  Minority employment guidelines 
in the law present a quandary for the GOC, which would like to 
decrease the public sector's unsustainable 50% of GDP, but faces 
elections in 2007 and high unemployment (for all ethnicities) in 
poorer regions where state jobs are among the few available.   END 
SUMMARY AND COMMENT. 
 
¶2. (U) The Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights and the Rights 
of National Minorities, the GOC's Central State Administration 
Office, and the OSCE Mission jointly sponsored a November 27 
roundtable at Parliament to focus on implementation of Article 22 
(employment of minorities in local and regional administrations) of 
the Constitutional Law on National Minorities (CLNM).  The CLNM 
specifies that all 62 cities and municipalities must ensure 
proportional representation of ethnic minorities in administrations. 
 
 
¶3. (U) State Secretary for Central State Administration Antun 
Palaric described the situation as "satisfactory" given that over 80 
percent of towns and municipalities have ensured the representation 
of minorities in local legislative bodies and in the executive 
authority.  According to Palaric, more than 50% of towns and 
municipalities have employed the necessary number of ethnic 
minorities' representatives in local administrative services, but 
the process stalled when there were no more vacancies in such 
services.  "We will be able to fulfill the provisions of the 
Constitutional law only when certain posts are emptied," he noted. 
"Our goal is not to lay off someone in order to employ someone 
else."  Human Rights Ombudsman Jurica Malcic acknowledged that some 
delays occurred in the employment of minorities' representatives, 
but emphasized that the political will to make progress exists. 
 
¶4.  (U) On the whole, Croat mayors tended to praise the situation 
(although recognizing difficulties), while the Serb representatives 
argued that too much was left up to the political will of local 
governments.  Ethnic Serb MP Gajica cited two examples, noting that 
small steps in the right direction were needed to send the right 
message.  He asserted that he had complained to the Government that 
not one officer in the Lika police department is of Serb ethnicity. 
The official answer he received was that the Interior Ministry 
(MUP), as a state-level agency, has already achieved proportionality 
at the "state level," leving Lika under-represented while other 
communities are over-represented.  In another case, a well-qualified 
Serb candidate applied for a judge position in the Banija region. 
For no apparent reason, the bidding proceedings were cancelled.  The 
official reply (allegedly from the Minister) was that the candidate 
identified himself as a representative of the "Serb community" 
rather than the "Serb minority" which ultimately disqualified him. 
 
BRADTKE