VZCZCXYZ0011
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSQ #0262/01 1060717
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150717Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7251
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0276
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2247
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR NATO MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA TO HOLD EARLY ELECTIONS JUNE 1; OFFICIAL 
CAMPAIGN STARTS MAY 11 
 
REF: SKOPJE 254 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Following two days of debate, the Macedonian 
Parliament adopted April 12 a decision to disband itself. 
The decision starts the clock on the first-ever early 
elections, now set for June 1, since Macedonia's independence 
17 years ago.  Before stepping down, the MPs authorized the 
next regular rotations of troop deployments to Afghanistan 
and Iraq, but rejected opposition proposals to adopt a 
decision on equal access to the media during the election 
campaign, and on the appointment of an opposition-affiliated 
President of the State Electoral Commission.  End summary. 
 
DECISION ON EARLY ELECTIONS... 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) At 2 am on April 12, 70 MPs voted to dissolve the 
120-seat Parliament, thus setting the stage for the first 
early general elections in Macedonia's 17-year history. 
Opposition SDSM and LDP were not present, having left the 
assembly earlier.  The proposal to disband was tabled by 
eAlbanian opposition party DUI, and endorsed by ruling 
coalition partners eMacedonian VMRO-DPMNE and eAlbanian DPA 
(reftel).  The decision needed 61 votes to pass, and received 
the support of coalition partners VMRO-DPMNE, the Socialist 
Party, some DPA MPs, and opposition DUI.  Later in the day, 
the speaker of Parliament called elections for June 1, 2008. 
The official 20-day campaign period starts May 11. 
 
...ADDITIONAL TROOP DEPLOYMENTS FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Immediately prior to giving up their mandates, the 
MPs held Parliament's last working session.  MPs approved the 
GOM's proposal to send a medical unit to the EUFOR "Altea" 
mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to deploy the next 
regular rotations of Macedonian soldiers to Afghanistan and 
Iraq. 
 
...CONCERNS ABOUT IMPACT ON NAME AND NATO 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) During the vote on the dissolution of Parliament, 
opposition SDSM and LDP MPs left the hall in protest.  GOM 
coalition partners NSDP, LP, VMRO-Narodna, as well as the 
Turkish, Serbian and Roma minority MPs and DPA's President 
Menduh Thaci, also failed to support the decision to disband 
Parliament. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In the two days prior to the April 12 vote, numerous 
MPs from a range of government and opposition parties, except 
for those from VMRO-DPMNE and DUI, told us they were 
frustrated about the prospect of early election.  Most 
thought now is the time to show progress on the name dispute 
with Greece, and that political energy "should not be wasted 
on unnecessary political moves."  Stojan Andov, president of 
smaller coalition partner LP, suggested that "the name issue 
should be solved first" and blamed the GOM for "helping only 
Greece with this irresponsible move."  Resigned to the early 
elections, opposition SDSM's Sekerinska added that they would 
be "disastrous for our country."  Coalition eAlbanian partner 
DPA's President Thaci blamed DUI for this "bandit-like move" 
which he said he "had to support," to avoid being "called a 
coward." 
 
...CONCERN ABOUT POSSIBLE ELECTION IRREGULARITIES 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Independent MP Vitanov, formerly part of the ruling 
coalition, summed up his colleagues' sentiments that 
VMRO-DPMNE's "inexperience and vanity" would lead Macedonia 
"away from a country ready for NATO towards a third-world 
country" with flawed elections.  MPs from all parties voiced 
similar concerns about the conduct of the early elections. 
While most echoed NSDP President Petkovski's feeling that 
"elections in the Macedonian parts of the country will be 
free and fair," they also shared serious concerns about "the 
eAlbanian areas of the country."  VMRO-DPMNE MP Veljanoski 
went so far as to appeal to the international community "to 
 
ensure security in the Albanian parts." 
 
¶7. (SBU) Opposition SDSM saw foreshadowings of election 
irregularities in the fact that coalition MPs voted down a 
number of what SDSM thought were legally-required steps for 
conducting free and fair elections.  According to Sekerinska, 
before its dissolution, Parliament failed to adopt a decision 
on equal access to the media during the campaign, or to 
appoint an opposition-affiliated President of the State 
Electoral Commission. 
 
COMMENT 
¶8. (SBU) The widely-anticipated decision to go to early 
elections is now a fact and Skopje is bustling with 
election-related activity.  With the dissolution of 
Parliament, the Gruevski government is now a caretaker 
government with limited authority.  This means that any 
decision on Kosovo recognition will have to wait until a new 
government is formed.  On the name negotiations, the Prime 
Minister has said the government will continue to take part. 
MILOVANOVIC