VZCZCXRO7725
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSQ #1174/01 3521313
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 181313Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5529
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SKOPJE 001174 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE PFEUFFER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK -- 
ROUND II OF LEADERSHIP TALKS 
 
REF: SKOPJE 1120 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: P/E CHIEF SHUBLER, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Leaders of Macedonia's four main parties (government 
and opposition) met December 13 behind closed doors, with 
U.S. and EU facilitation, in their second meeting to discuss 
how to move forward on Macedonia's main Euro-Atlantic 
integration reforms (reftel).  Three of the four parties 
reached consensus on moving forward on two agenda items, 
including forming expert working groups for discussing a 
draft parliamentary rulebook and constitutional changes 
related to education.  Two of the parties (SDSM and DPA) also 
agreed to further high-level talks on the composition of the 
Parliamentary Committee on Inter-ethnic Relations, a key 
demand by the eAlbanian opposition DUI party.  DUI leaders, 
however, brought the process to a halt by refusing to move 
forward on other issues until the Committee matter is 
resolved. 
 
¶2. (C) Although government coalition partners VMRO-DPMNE and 
DPA did not go out of their way to be accommodating, DUI's 
continued obstructionism will not lead to its goal of 
entering the government, whether by bringing down the current 
government and winning a place in a new coalition after snap 
elections, or by being included, under pressure, in the 
existing coalition by the current government.  We will tell 
DUI, and we will urge our EU colleagues to send the same 
clear message, that it risks being left in the cold unless it 
shifts course and begins playing the role of a constructive 
opposition party. End Summary. 
 
ROUND TWO OF LEADERSHIP TALKS ON REFORM AGENDA 
 
¶3. (SBU) The leaders of Macedonia's four main political 
parties met behind closed doors under U.S. and EU auspices in 
the Parliament on December 13, following up on their November 
27 leadership meeting to discuss how to move forward on 
Macedonia's key Euro-Atlantic integration reforms (reftel). 
EU Special Representative (EUSR) Fouere outlined the agenda, 
to which the parties had contributed their top legislative or 
policy priorities.  The agenda included constitutional 
amendments to allow for mandatory secondary school education 
(VMRO-DPMNE proposal); reconstituting the parliamentary 
committee on inter-ethnic relations (opposition eAlbanian 
DUI); ensuring a broad consensus for a new parliamentary 
rulebook (opposition SDSM); and passing a more liberal 
religious freedom law (eAlbanian DPA). 
 
¶4. (SBU) Fouere proposed that the parties agree to form 
working groups to continue discussions on those issues on 
which there was a general consensus.  The Ambassador urged 
the party leaders to focus on how to move ahead on the reform 
agenda, and underscored the parties' ownership of the process 
of advancing government-opposition dialogue. 
 
GOVERNMENT PRESSES FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 
 
¶5. (SBU) Speaking for the governing VMRO-DPMNE, PM Gruevski 
thanked the U.S. and EU for their role in the political 
dialogue process and discussed constitutional amendments 
related to education.  Gruevski also urged a broad consensus 
for adoption of a parliamentary rulebook that would impose 
time limits on general floor debates.  He argued that 
Macedonia needed to pass 300-400 NATO/EU membership-related 
laws over the next four years, and therefore needed to 
improve its legislative efficiency. 
 
INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE A DUI PRECONDITION FOR 
FURTHER TALKS 
 
¶6. (SBU) DUI president Ahmeti said his party did not oppose 
improvements to education, but that the party first wanted to 
resolve the issue of the makeup of the Parliamentary 
Committee for Inter-ethnic Relations and its role in 
determining which legislation requires a qualified majority 
(Badinter) vote (reftel).  The Committee issue had to be 
resolved before there could be further dialogue on other 
issues, he said.  DUI added that the Committee was an 
institution derived from the Ohrid Framework Agreement (FWA) 
 
SKOPJE 00001174  002 OF 003 
 
 
to ensure ethnic minorities have a voice in political 
dialogue on important legislation.  Since it was not 
currently functioning, because DUI members had withdrawn to 
protest its composition, it should be dismissed and then 
re-elected in accordance with a consensus reached in the 
context of the existing dialogue. 
 
STRIVING FOR CONSENSUS ON RULEBOOK 
 
¶7. (SBU) SDSM president Sekerinska said her party could in 
principal support the constitutional amendments on education, 
but she first wanted to know what Gruevski's plan would cost 
taxpayers and how it could be implemented.  Regarding the 
parliamentary rulebook, she argued for a broad discussion of 
the current draft to build a consensus, and then adoption of 
a revised version at the end of the government's mandate, 
which was common practice elsewhere.  The efficiency of the 
parliament could be boosted, she argued, by prioritizing the 
legislative agenda.  DUI VP Teuta Arifi said the rulebook 
should ensure both greater parliamentary efficiency AND an 
equal voice on key legislation for all ethnic groups, in 
which case the government and DUI positions might be 
reconciled. 
 
WEAK STATE INSTITUTIONS? 
 
¶8. (SBU) DPA leader Arben Xhaferi said the current dialogue 
process underscored the inability of state institutions to 
resolve key issues.  He proposed a full review and evaluation 
of progress in implementing the Ohrid Framework Agreement, 
rather than addressing each of the issues on the agenda. 
Gruevski continued to press for a revised rulebook now, 
rather than at the end of his government's mandate, to 
promote legislative efficiency.  The EUSR proposed a more 
detailed technical discussion of the constitutional changes 
issue, perhaps in a working group setting. 
 
NO OBJECTIONS TO MORE LIBERAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LAW 
 
¶9. (SBU) Gruevski noted the importance of a liberal religious 
freedom law for Macedonia's NATO and EU membership prospects, 
but said Macedonia's main religious communities opposed a 
more liberal bill.  Nevertheless, the government was 
redrafting the current bill and would resubmit it to 
OSCE/ODIHR for review.  Gruevski wanted to consult with the 
parties on the draft legislation, and also would seek to work 
with the religious communities to build consensus for it.  No 
party spoke against such a bill, but SDSM wanted to review 
the text before it would support the bill. 
 
TWO STEPS FORWARD.... 
 
¶10. (SBU) The EUSR and the Ambassador jointly proposed the 
formation of technical or expert working groups to further 
build consensus on the constitutional amendments and 
parliamentary rulebook issues.  In the meantime, they 
suggested, the constitution of the Committee on Inter-ethnic 
Relations could be discussed at a future leadership meeting, 
either with or without the EU and U.S. present.  There 
appeared to be general consensus among the parties, except 
for DUI, on that approach. 
 
...ONE STEP BACK 
 
¶11. (C) After a short break for consultations, Gruevski 
returned to argue that the Committee on Inter-ethnic 
Relations had been formed following a mathematical model for 
apportioning seats on it, and that the matter therefore did 
not need further discussion.  On the other two matters, 
however, he agreed to technical discussions in the 
parliament, which he offered to host, but without EU or U.S. 
attendance.  VMRO-DPMNE's Vlado Popovski, a law professor, 
gave a meandering legal analysis of the FWA, essentially 
describing the Committee as irrelevant, since the laws 
intended to be passed by a Badinter vote already were listed 
in the FWA. 
 
¶12. (C) DPA VP Thaci then attacked DUI for lacking sincerity 
in the talks.  He accused Ahmeti of wanting to use the 
Inter-ethnic Committee and the Badinter principle to block 
the government's work, although he said DPA could accept a 
different composition of the Committee if the parties agreed 
 
SKOPJE 00001174  003 OF 003 
 
 
to that.  DUI's Ahmeti insisted on resolving the Committee 
issue before the other two issues could be addressed.  The 
meeting ended with the Ambassador intervening to stop an 
acrimonious exchange between DUI and DPA, and with SDSM 
proposing another dialogue meeting, this time hosted by the 
President of Parliament or the Prime Minister.  The parties 
agreed to inform the IC representatives of their next steps. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶13. (C) The main objective of our joint work with the EU on 
this endeavor was to give DUI a venue for participating as an 
opposition member in serious political debate on priority 
legislative and policy matters.  Although VMRO-DPMNE and DPA 
did not go out of their way to be accommodating, DUI's 
continued inflexibility reflects a stubborn refusal to take a 
more constructive approach.  That is a miscalculation, since 
Gruevski has told us he is convinced he can work without 
DUI's support or participation in the process.  If DUI 
chooses to follow the path of obstinate obstruction, there is 
little more we can do but make it clear we do not support 
them, and that the only viable option is one that puts them 
in the role of a constructive opposition party.  That is a 
message we intend to take to Ahmeti, and to urge that our EU 
colleagues also convey, in the days ahead. 
MILOVANOVIC