VZCZCXRO7595
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVJ #3090/01 3401040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061040Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4992
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SARAJEVO 003090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL BK
SUBJECT: NEW DODIK GOVERNMENT: MOST MINISTERS REMAIN 
 
¶1. (SBU) The RS National Assembly (RSNA) elected Milorad 
Dodik for a second consecutive term as Republika Srpska (RS) 
Premier November 30, by a vote of 60 to 18 with 2 
abstentions.  Dodik and his government slate received the 
support of his own Alliance of Independent Social Democrats 
(SNSD), Mladen Ivanic,s Party of Democratic Progress (PDP), 
the Democratic People's Alliance (DNS), the Socialist Party 
(SP) the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and Party 
for BiH (SBiH).  Dodik,s new cabinet includes 11 holdovers 
from his previous RS Government, including in key ministries 
like Finance and Interior.  Moreover, because of the size of 
his victory in general elections held October 1, Dodik,s 
SNSD holds two more ministries than it did in the past.  As 
in Dodik,s previous term, the new RS Government includes a 
core group of key ministers who are Dodik insiders as well as 
several others with ministerial experience in past RS 
Governments.  Unlike Dodik,s previous mandates as RS 
Premier, this RS Government will have the support of a 
super-majority in the RSNA and should have little difficulty 
finding support for its RS legislative priorities. 
 
¶2. (U) The main points of Dodik,s governing agenda have been 
reported septel.  Capsule biographies of Dodik and his 
ministers appear below. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE NEW RS GOVERNMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶3. (SBU) RS Premier:  Milorad Dodik, SNSD -- Dodik is the son 
of a farmer from the Krajina municipality of Laktasi.  A 
graduate of Belgrade's Faculty of Political Sciences, he 
began his political career as Mayor of Laktasi from 
1986-1990, and was at that time the youngest mayor in former 
Yugoslavia.  In 1990 he was elected to the Parliament of the 
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and during the war years 
served as a member of the RSNA.  Founder of the Alliance of 
Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Dodik was RS Premier 
from 1998-2001 as leader of the Sloga Coalition, and held the 
position again from February to November 2006.  His October 
election victory confirmed opinion polls suggesting that 
Dodik is by far the most popular politician in the RS.  This 
is in no small measure thanks to his direct, populist manner 
of speaking.  Not particularly detail-oriented, Dodik can 
quickly seize on concepts he likes and doggedly stick to 
them.  A basketball fan, Dodik owns the 2005-06 RS Cup 
Champion squad Igokea, which is based in Aleksandrovac, 
Laktasi Municipality, where Dodik lives.  Dodik, 46, is 
married with two children, and is grandfather of one.  He 
does not speak English. 
 
¶4. (SBU) RS Minister of Interior:  Stanislav Cadjo, SNSD -- A 
close and trusted friend of Dodik, Cadjo, 44, grew up in 
Dodik's home village of Aleksandrovac.  He graduated from 
Banja Luka University Law School and has held a series of 
jobs, mostly in business, some in politics.  Cadjo worked in 
the Laktasi Municipal Administration from 1986-1991, largely 
during Dodik,s mayoral mandate.  He served in the VRS from 
March 1993 to June 1996, and shortly thereafter started 
working as Director of Tehnogas Trn (a Laktasi firm 
privatized by the Italian company SOA).  Cadjo has served as 
campaign manager for SNSD and as a member of the party,s 
Executive Board and as RS Minister of Interior in Dodik,s 
most recent term.  Perhaps protecting his own bureaucratic 
turf, Cadjo has proven rather strident on the issue of police 
reform.  While Dodik, and not Cadjo, will make the ultimate 
decisions for the RS on police reform, it would be a mistake 
to underestimate the role Cadjo could play as a spoiler. 
Cadjo, an ethnic Serb, is married and the father of two 
children.  He does not speak English. 
 
¶5. (SBU) RS Minister of Finance:  Aleksandar Dzombic, SNSD -- 
Dzombic, 38 and an ethnic Serb from Banja Luka, graduated 
from Banja Luka University in 1995.  After a year as an IT 
expert in the Banja Luka Municipality, Dzombic began his 
career in the RS banking sector.  From 1996-2002 Dzombic 
worked at Banja Luka,s Kristal Banka, first as Credit 
Officer managing credit portfolios for IC loans to the SME 
sector and later as Manager of the bank's Financial Assets 
and IT Department.  Since 2003 Dzombic has been Executive 
Director of Nova Banka, Bijeljina.  In his first nine months 
as RS MinFin, Dzombic has doggedly defended RS priorities on 
the Indirect Taxation Association Governing Board.  He also 
worked closely with USAID experts to adopt individual income 
tax and corporate profit tax reforms.  Dzombic is married, 
with one child. 
 
¶6. (SBU) RS Minister of Economy and Energy:  Dr. Rajko 
Ubiparip, SNSD -- Ubiparip, the new RS Minister of Economy 
and Energy, is 43 and an ethnic Serb.  He was born September 
24, 1963 in Jasenovi Potoci, Mrkonjic Grad.  After completing 
high school in Mrkonjic Grad and a bachelor's degree in 
economics from Banja Luka University, he began to work for 
 
SARAJEVO 00003090  002 OF 003 
 
 
the Modrica Oil Refinery.  He subsequently earned an M.A. in 
economics from Banja Luka University (1998) and a Ph.D. from 
the University of Kragujevac, Serbia (2004).  Most of his 
scientific publications have been on the issues of marketing 
and quality management systems.  He succeeded Milan Jelic as 
General Director of the Modrica Oil Refinery when Jelic 
became RS Minister of Economy and Energy earlier in 2006. 
 
¶7. (SBU) RS Minister of Education and Culture:  Anton 
Kasipovic, SNSD -- Kasipovic, an ethnic Croat, will remain in 
the post of RS Minister of Education and Culture, and will 
serve once again as Deputy RS Premier. He spent most of his 
professional career in journalism.  Together with Zeljko 
Kopanja and Nikola Guzijan, Kasipovic helped to found Banja 
Luka,s &Nezavisne Novine.8  Kasipovic served as Marketing 
Director of &Glas Srpske8 and as Editor in Chief and 
Marketing Director of its predecessor &Glas.8  Immediately 
prior to joining Dodik,s RS Government earlier this year, 
Kasipovic served as Marketing Director for BH TV and as 
Director of BH TV,s Banja Luka Studio.  While not 
technically a member of SNSD, Kasipovic is definitely a Dodik 
insider.  He is considered to be an excellent manager with a 
strong sense for business.  His priorities for this term are 
thought to include a rationalization of higher education in 
the RS. 
 
¶8. (SBU) RS Minister of Health and Social Protection:  Dr. 
Ranko Skrbic, SNSD -- Skrbic, an ethnic Serb, returns to the 
government as Minister of Health and Social Protection. 
Skrbic is extremely close to Dodik, both personally and 
professionally.  He is Dodik,s kum (a term that signifies an 
extremely close relationship denoting that he was either 
Dodik,s best man or godfather to his children, or both). 
Like Cadjo, Skrbic hails from Dodik,s home village of 
Aleksandrovac, Laktasi Municipality.  Skrbic is a 
pharmacologist and was active in the Banja Luka Municipal 
Board of SNSD.  Like Dodik, Skrbic is an avid basketball fan, 
and played the game semi-professionally.  He is married and 
speaks English. 
 
¶9. (SBU) RS Minister of Public Administration and Local 
Self-Government:  Zoran Lipovac, SNSD -- Born in Banja Luka 
in 1954, Lipovac, an ethnic Croat, received his secondary 
education in Zagreb and a bachelor,s degree from the Banja 
Luka University Law Faculty in 1978.  His previous experience 
includes work as a legal expert with the United Nations 
(1998-2004) as well as service as a Basic Court Judge 
(1986-1995) and Deputy Chief District Prosecutor (2004 to the 
present).  Lipovac lived for two years in the United States 
and speaks English.  He is married and the father of two. 
 
¶10. (SBU) RS Minister of Justice:  Dzerard Selman, 
Non-partisan -- Selman, an ethnic Bosniak, was born in 1958 
in Kotor Varos, and is a graduate of the Banja Luka 
University's Faculty of Law.  Prior to his first stint as RS 
Minister of Justice under Premier Pero Bukejlovic (2005-2006) 
he worked in the Judge Adjutant General's Office of the 
JNA,s First Army District, Belgrade, and as secretary and 
general director in the firm Jelsingrad-Kotor Varos.  He is 
married and has two children. 
 
¶11. (SBU) RS Minister of Refugees and Displaced Persons: 
Omer Brankovic, SDA -- Brankovic, 59 and an ethnic Bosniak, 
is a veterinarian by training, originally from Visegrad.  He 
has been active in politics for about ten years, serving as 
Deputy Mayor of Visegrad, RSNA MP, and as RS Deputy Premier 
and Minister of Economic Coordination.  Following his service 
as Minister of Refugees and Displaced Persons in Dodik,s 
most recent RS Government, he was re-nominated and 
reconfirmed for an additional term in this post.  While he 
served as Dodik,s Deputy Premier in his most recent mandate, 
it is likely that he will be replaced in this position by 
Minister Jasna Brkic.  Sources say that Brankovic,s 
re-nomination is based on an agreement between SDA and SNSD 
that SNSD be represented in the Federation BiH Government at 
the head of one ministry.  Should this fail to materialize, 
Brankovic could be sacked.  Brankovic is married with two 
sons. 
 
¶12. (U) RS Minister of Agriculture:  Dr. Radivoje Bratic, 
SNSD -- Bratic, 54 and an ethnic Serb, was born in Nevesinje. 
 He is a civil engineer by training with a specialization in 
water resource issues.  Prior to the war, Bratic worked at 
Sarajevo,s water utility and taught at Sarajevo 
University,s Civil Engineering Faculty.  Since the war, he 
has held positions in the RS Water Directorate and the RS 
Water Institute, the High Technical School in Uzice (Serbia) 
and at Banja Luka University,s Faculty of Architecture and 
Civil Engineering.  He is married and the father of two 
daughters and currently lives in Trebinje. 
 
 
SARAJEVO 00003090  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶13. (U) RS Minister of Urban Planning and Ecology:  Fatima 
Fetibegovic, Non-partisan -- Fetibegovic, 57 and an ethnic 
Bosniak, returns for a second term as Minister of Urban 
Planning.  She was born in Bihac, educated at Belgrade 
University,s Faculty of Architecture and currently lives in 
Prijedor.  She has thirty years experience as both a lead 
designer and head of a construction team at Prijedor,s 
&Industro Projekat,8 and has also worked on city planning 
and regulatory issues in Prijedor.  She is married and the 
mother of two. 
 
¶14. (SBU) RS Minister of Trade and Tourism:  Predrag 
Gluhakovic, Socialist Party -- Gluhakovic, 52 and an ethnic 
Croat, returns as RS Minister of Trade and Tourism.  He was 
born in Bijela, near Brcko, and completed technical and 
university education in Serbia.  He has worked in several 
businesses, including &Unis Mibo,8 &Soko Pirometal8 and 
&ODP Zitopromet.8  Immediately prior to his first term as 
minister, he worked as a manager for the Brcko utility 
&Elektrodistribucija.8  During his first term as minister, 
he was treated for serious back pain. 
 
¶15. (SBU) RS Minister of Economic Relations and Coordination: 
 Jasna Brkic, non-partisan -- Brkic, 47 and an ethnic 
Bosniak, returns for a second term as RS Minister of Economic 
Relations and Coordination.  Brkic moved from the periphery 
to a position of trust during Dodik,s most recent term as RS 
Premier.  This is evidenced by her likely nomination as 
Deputy RS Premier, succeeding Omer Brankovic.  Brkic has 
experience both in the academy, teaching at Banja Luka 
University,s Economics Faculty, and as a journalist at Banja 
Luka Radio.  She has also served in Banja Luka,s Municipal 
Assembly.  She is married and the mother of one. 
 
¶16. (SBU) RS Minister of Youth, Families and Sport:  Dr. 
Proko Dragosavljevic, SNSD -- Dragosavljevic, 58 and an 
ethnic Serb, was born in Srbac.  He received a B.A. from the 
Physical Education Faculty of the University of Sarajevo, did 
graduate work at Novi Sad University, and completed his Ph.D. 
at the University of Eastern Sarajevo. He has previously 
worked as both a high school teacher and principal.  His 
previous political experience includes service as mayor of 
Srbac and as Deputy RS Minister of Education in Dodik,s 
1998-2000 RS Government.  The minister responsible for youth 
issues, Dragosavljevic is the oldest member of Milorad 
Dodik,s cabinet. 
 
¶17. (SBU) RS Minister of Transport and Communications: 
Nedeljko Cubrilovic, DNS -- Cubrilovic, 53 and an ethnic 
Serb, is a mechanical engineer returning for a second term as 
RS Minister of Transport and Communications.  Following his 
first term, Cubrilovic led the DNS party list for the RSNA 
from the electoral district that includes Banja Luka.  His 
presence on the list helped DNS achieve its best electoral 
result ever, 4 RSNA mandates.  In addition to experience as 
an engineer, Cubrilovic once led the RS Directorate for Roads 
and was Chairman of the Banja Luka Executive Board.  He is 
married and the father of two. 
 
¶18. (SBU) RS Minister of Labor and Veterans Affairs:  Bosko 
Tomic, PDP -- Tomic, 57 and an ethnic Serb, also returns for 
a second term.  He was born in Trnovo and graduated from the 
Faculty of Political Science in Sarajevo.  omic spent most 
of his professional career in th "FAMOS" motor factory in 
Sarajevo; he was also ctive in trade union affairs.  Tomic 
served in te Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) from 1992-1995.Immediately prior to his first term in the ministry, he 
served as Deputy Director of the RS Employment Agency.  He is 
married and the father of two. 
 
¶19. (SBU) RS Minister of Science and Technology:  Dr. Bakir 
Ajanovic, Non-partisan -- Ajanovic, 53, a Bosniak born in 
Banja Luka, is returning for his second term as minister. 
Ajanovic holds both Bosnian and U.S. citizenship and is a 
surgeon who has worked in the medical field both in Banja 
Luka and in Garland, Texas.  Originally proposed by the Party 
for BiH (SBiH), Ajanovic recently announced that he left the 
party and was consequently reappointed as minister by Milorad 
Dodik. 
CEFKIN