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RAAUZYUW RUEHPOD0140 1201701-UUUU--RHMCSUU.
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301701Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000140 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR INR/NB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MW
SUBJECT: "PRO-WESTERN" SERBIAN NATIONALIST IN MONTENEGRO 
 
REF: PODGORICA 100 
 
PODGORICA 00000140  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: ANDRIJA MANDIC, LEADER OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE'S 
PARTY (SNS) IN MONTENEGRO, TOLD POLOFF APRIL 27 THAT THE DRAFT 
CONSTITUTION DID NOT GO FAR ENOUGH IN PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF 
THE SERBIAN PEOPLE. WHILE SINGLING OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RUSSIA 
TO MONTENEGRO, MANDIC SAID HE WAS TRYING TO GET HIS PARTY TO END 
ITS OPPOSITION TO NATO, CALLING HIMSELF "PRO-WESTERN." HE 
DECLINED OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS KOSOVO.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
CONSTITUTION: STILL TIME FOR COMPROMISES 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) POLOFF SOUGHT A MEETING APRIL 27 WITH ANDRIJA MANDIC, 
LEADER OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (SNS) IN MONTENEGRO. MANDIC 
DISAVOWED NEWS REPORTS THAT HE HAD SAID SERBS SHOULD USE 
EXTRA-CONSTITUTIONAL MEANS TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS IF THE 
CONSTITUTION DOES NOT ENSURE THE RIGHTS OF GROUPS AS WELL AS 
INDIVIDUALS.  HE SAID THAT IT WAS NEBOJSA MEDOJIVIC (MOVEMENT 
FOR CHANGE - PZP), SECONDED BY SINISTAJ OF THE ALBANIAN 
ALTERNATIVE, WHO ALLUDED TO "RIOTS" IF THE "RIGHTS OF ALBANIANS" 
WERE NOT PROTECTED. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) MANDIC SAID THAT THE SNS POSITION WAS THAT THE 
CONSTITUTION SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE POSITION "OF THE SERBIAN 
PEOPLE AS CITIZENS OF MONTENEGRO," AND NOT EXCLUSIVELY REFER TO 
"MONTENEGRINS". MANDIC FEELS THERE IS STILL SCOPE AND TIME 
ENOUGH TO REACH ACCEPTABLE LANGUAGE ON PEOPLES, LANGUAGE AND 
RELIGION, AND THAT THE RULING PARTIES' LEGISLATIVE GROUPS ARE 
NOT/NOT MONOLITHIC BLOCKS ON THESE ISSUES. WHILE HE DID NOT 
EXPLICITLY EXPRESS A VIEW AS TO WHETHER THE CONSTITUTION WILL BE 
VOTED ON BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT'S SUMMER BREAK (BEGINNING IN 
JULY), HE DID NOT RULE OUT A RESUMPTION OF TALKS ON THE 
CONSTITUTION IN THE FALL. (NOTE: PARLIAMENT HAS EXTENDED THE 
PUBLIC DEBATE ON THE TEXT, TO NOW END ON MAY 26 VICE MAY 4. END 
NOTE.) HE STRESSED THAT SNS VOTED FOR THE DRAFT (BRACKETED) 
CONSTITUTION TEXT, INDICATING THAT SHOWED SNS'S WILLINGNESS TO 
REACH CONSENSUS ON THE FINAL DOCUMENT. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) MANDIC ALSO SAID THE VENICE COMMISSION, WHICH VISITED 
MONTENEGRO EARLIER IN THE WEEK, HAD REJECTED MEDOJEVIC'S PUSH 
FOR EARLY PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS A YEAR AFTER THE CONSTITUTION 
WAS ADOPTED. MANDIC WAS PLEASED WITH THE COMMISSION'S STANCE; 
MANDIC SAID HIS PARTY DOES NOT WANT EARLY ELECTIONS. 
 
 
 
A LOYAL OPPOSITION 
 
------------------ 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) MANDIC SAID HIS LOCAL GROUPS WERE CRITICIZING THE SNS 
PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FOR NOT TAKING A MORE DIAMETRICAL POSITION 
TO THE GOM; HE SAID HE WANTS THE SNS TO BE ABLE TO PLAY A 
PRODUCTIVE ROLE IN SUPPORTING MONTENEGRO'S DEVELOPMENT.  HE 
AGREED THAT HE WANTS HIS PARTY TO BE "A LOYAL OPPOSITION." 
 
 
 
NATO 
 
---- 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) MANDIC TOLD POLOFF THAT HE WENT TO HIS MAIN BOARD WITH 
A PROPOSAL THAT SNS ENDORSE NATO MEMBERSHIP FOR MONTENEGRO.  HE 
SAYS HIS MAIN BOARD REJECTED THAT, CLAIMING THEIR VOTERS WOULD 
NOT GO FOR IT. POLOFF TOLD MANDIC THAT HE AGREED MANDIC NEEDED 
TO STAY CLOSE TO HIS VOTERS, TO LEAD THEM IN GAINING A BETTER 
UNDERSTANDING OF NATO. 
 
 
 
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PODGORICA 00000140  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
RUSSIA 
 
------ 
 
 
 
¶7. (U) MANDIC RAISED RUSSIA TWICE, ONCE AT THE END TO NOTE PM 
PUTIN SPEECH WITH ITS MORATORIUM ON CFE, AND EARLIER TO NOTE 
THAT HE APPRECIATES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INTEREST IN 
MONTENEGRO, "INCLUDING RUSSIA'S INTEREST -- EVEN THOUGH WE 
HAVEN'T MET WITH THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY SINCE THE NEW COM ARRIVED." 
 
 
 
KOSOVO 
 
------ 
 
 
 
¶8. (U) DESPITE SEVERAL OPENINGS, MANDIC DECLINED TO DISCUSS 
KOSOVO; HE DECLINED. EARLIER, IN PUBLIC, MANDIC AND THE SNS HAVE 
CALLED FOR THE GOM TO GIVE ITS FULL SUPPORT TO THE GOS ON 
KOSOVO. 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
------- 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) MANDIC, AND HIS SNS, POSED THE LARGEST SINGLE RISK OF 
CONFRONTATION OVER INDEPENDENCE LAST YEAR. AFTER HIS SERBIAN 
LIST BECAME THE SINGLE LARGEST PARLIAMENTARY GROUP IN OPPOSITION 
LAST SEPTEMBER, MANDIC HAS TONED DOWN HIS RHETORIC, IN PUBLIC 
AND ESPECIALLY IN PRIVATE. WITH A STRONG HOLD ON HIS PARTY AND 
GROUP'S LEADERSHIP, MANDIC'S ROLE HAS HELPED TO STABILIZE 
MONTENEGRO, A FACT REALIZED BY SOME (BUT NOT ALL) IN THE GOM. HE 
RECOGNIZES THAT HE CANNOT GET TOO FAR OUT AHEAD OF HIS VOTERS, 
HOWEVER, WITHOUT YIELDING LEADERSHIP TO SOMEONE LESS RESPONSIBLE 
AND THOUGHTFUL. MANDIC WAS AN INTERNATIONAL VISITOR IN EARLY 
¶2005. END COMMENT. 
FERRILL 
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