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Viewing cable 07SKOPJE875, MACEDONIA: IMPLEMENTATION OF MAY 29 AGREEMENT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07SKOPJE875 2007-11-02 16:16 2011-08-26 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Skopje
VZCZCXRO6721
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0875/01 3061616
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021616Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6671
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0074
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
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000875 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: IMPLEMENTATION OF MAY 29 AGREEMENT 
GRINDING TO A HALT? 
 
REF: A. SKOPJE 758 AND PREVIOUS 
 
     B. SKOPJE 815 
 
SUMMARY 
 
1. (SBU)  Over the last four months, governing VMRO and 
opposition DUI have been willing, but unyielding, 
participants in the implementation of the US-EU-brokered 
five-point May 29 agreement (ref A).  There is still hope for 
the successful near-term re-composition of the committee on 
inter-ethnic relations and the codification of the list of 46 
laws that would require qualified (Badinter) majority. 
However, the other two main points of the agreement --the 
draft language law and the social benefits package for 
victims of the 2001 conflict-- are stuck in the quagmire of 
political gamesmanship.  We will continue to monitor the work 
of the language law working group and push both sides to 
concentrate on producing a less than perfect language law 
draft for Parliament to work from, rather than trying to 
convince each other that their interpretation of the 
Constitution and the Framework Agreement is "the correct" 
one.  End summary. 
 
MAY 29 AGREEMENT - SOME HOPE FOR TWO ITEMS... 
 
2. (SBU)  Following four months of discussions with no 
breakthroughs, the first two items of the US-EU-brokered 
five-point May 29 agreement between governing VMRO and ethnic 
Albanian opposition DUI (ref A) --codifying a list of 46 laws 
that would require qualified (Badinter) majority, and 
recomposing the committee on inter-ethnic relations-- are 
still blocked by the thousands of amendments proposed by 
opposition SDSM.  The GOM has suggested that, in order to 
overcome the opposition's resistance, it might include the 
list of 46 laws as an addendum to the new draft law on the 
committee on inter-ethnic relations.  If this is done and if 
the law passes, the GOM has a chance to close two items from 
the May 29 agreement in the near future. 
 
DEAD END FOR THE TWO WORKING GROUPS...? 
 
3. (SBU)  Parallel to those discussions, two separate 
VMRO-DUI working groups --on the draft law on languages and 
on a package of social benefits for victims of the 2001 
conflict-- have met half a dozen times as part of the May 29 
agreement implementation.  Emboffs have observed the language 
law working group proceedings, while our EUSR colleagues have 
followed working group discussions on the victims of conflict 
issue.  Despite the willingness of both sides to meet with 
each other, even as tensions related to a Parliamentary brawl 
reached their peak (ref B), there has been no forward 
movement on either the language law or the victims of 
conflict issue. 
 
VICTIMS OF CONFLICT WORKING GROUP - ASKING FOR MORE, GETTING 
NOTHING... 
 
4. (SBU)  The victims of the 2001 conflict working group was 
recently on the verge of achieving success when the GOM 
presented a package of social benefits, including employment 
opportunities, for the victims of conflict.  Initially 
receptive to the idea, in the wake of the parliamentary 
incidents DUI quickly reversed its position and said that it 
could only accept a draft law on the issue or an addendum to 
the current law on the 2001 "defenders" (Macedonian military 
veterans of the 2001 conflict.)  This move, which is contrary 
to the May 29 agreement, and unacceptable to VMRO, derailed 
the negotiations.  The working group last met on October 25, 
without completing its mandate.  EUSR is not planning to 
observe any future meetings of the working group, and no 
further meetings of that group have been scheduled. 
 
LANGUAGE LAW WORKING GROUP - WHO WILL BLINK FIRST...? 
 
5. (SBU)  Headed by a Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister 
of Interior, the VMRO team working on the language law showed 
from the beginning that the GOM was willing to meet with DUI, 
yet would take a strict constructivist legalistic approach 
and steafastly refuse to make any forward-leaning or 
constructive suggestions for moving the process forward. 
Even though both sides proposed draft laws, the GOM side 
summarily labeled the DUI draft "unconstitutional" and going 
beyond Framework Agreement requirements.  Having met in seven 
 
SKOPJE 00000875  002 OF 002 
 
 
marathon-length night sessions, the two sides are still 
debating the essence of their philosophical positions, which 
are fundamentally irreconcilable. 
 
6. (SBU)  In conversations with Emboffs, the PM's Chief of 
Staff has indicated that the GOM understands that its "war of 
attrition" strategy eventually might lead DUI to walk out of 
the process.  DUI's VP Xhaferi has also indicated that DUI is 
willing to wait for the GOM to blink first and "show its real 
intentions to the public."  As a result, DUI has given an 
informal deadline of December 20 for the working group to 
submit an interim progress report.  VMRO's side has dismissed 
the notion of setting deadlines for debates that are related 
to decisions of such historical moment.  Emboffs will 
continue to monitor the proceedings of the working group. 
The next session is scheduled for November 8. 
 
COMMENT 
 
7. (SBU)  The GOM understands that implementation of the May 
29 agreement is one of the main criteria the international 
community uses to monitor and evaluate its domestic political 
progress.  That is why the PM has delegated the work to some 
of his most trusted deputies.  However, our conversations 
with the GOM point to a strategy of "talk, wait and see," 
rather than to any real desire for political dialogue that 
leads to compromise and results.  On the other hand, DUI's 
intransigence at key points during the negotiations has 
raised questions regarding DUI's desire to see the May 29 
agreement completed.  We will redouble our efforts to 
convince both sides of the need to reach compromises, and not 
allow the process to be derailed beyond salvaging. 
MILOVANOVIC