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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPOD #0261/01 2881903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 141903Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0986
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 1074

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000261 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MW
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PROTEST AGAINST KOSOVO RECOGNITION SPARKS CLASHES 
IN PODGORICA 
 
REF: PODGORICA 58 
 
PODGORICA 00000261  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On October 9, in possibly its biggest foreign 
policy decision since independence, the GoM announced 
Montenegro's recognition of Kosovo.  Opposition parties united 
to oppose the decision in a letter to the GoM presented late on 
October 10.  On October 13, about 10,000 people assembled in 
Podgorica for a large protest rally organized by four pro-Serb 
parties. Protestors demanded that the GoM cancel its decision on 
Kosovo's recognition by October 15 at 11:00 a.m. and invited the 
parliament to call a referendum on the same issue.  The rally 
turned violent, with 30 people suffering minor injuries after 
police and protestors clashed. Police have banned another rally 
previously scheduled for October 16. END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
Djukanovic: Nobody pressured Montenegro 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Responding to numerous allegations that the GoM 
recognized Kosovo because of international pressure, especially 
by the U.S., PM Milo Djukanovic reiterated that the GoM decision 
was motivated solely by its own national interests, particularly 
its growing partnership with the European Union and NATO.  He 
did acknowledge that Montenegro's partners have certain 
expectations. In a similar vein, President Filip Vujanovic 
stated that Montenegro recognized Kosovo to avoid jeopardizing 
its strategic objective of Euro-Atlantic integration. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
Opposition: GoM Decision "Shameful" and "Treason" 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Serbian List (SL), Socialist People's Party (SNP), 
People's Party (NS), and Democratic Serbian Party (DSS) cried 
foul and immediately organized a protest rally in Podgorica for 
October 13.  Serb leaders Andrija Mandic, Srdjan Milic, and 
Predrag Popovic described the GoM's decision as shameful and 
dishonorable.  Milic told followers that the rally would protest 
the "shameful decision" to recognize the "fake state Kosovo 
against the will of a large majority of Montenegrin citizens." 
Popovic claimed that more than 80 percent of citizens oppose the 
decision.  Milic, standing by his word to us on October 10 
(septel) that the SNP insist on keeping the rally peaceful, 
called for a protest by "peaceful and democratic expression of 
responsible people who will prove they are honorable."  The Main 
Board of the small Democratic Serbian Party (DSS) condemned the 
GoM for their "act of high treason" calling Kosovo a "terrorist 
creation on the territory of the south Serbian province." 
 
 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
Podgorica Rally Ends with Violence 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶4. (U) In the run up to the October 13 rally in Podgorica, small 
demonstrations took place throughout the weekend, primarily in 
Podgorica, Niksic, Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje, and Bar. Increased 
police presence was visible throughout the weekend, with an 
impressive show of force in Podgorica on October 13, focused on 
the protection of government and diplomatic facilities. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to local press and unofficial police 
estimates, roughly 10,000 people gathered in Podgorica for the 
opposition rally.  SNP's Vasilije Lalosevic opened the protest 
by reading a list of demands to be sent to the government, 
notably that the government annul its recognition of Kosovo by 
Wednesday, October 15, at 11am and that parliament 
simultaneously announce a nationwide referendum on the issue. 
If the GoM fails to comply, Lalosevic asserted, the President 
would be obliged to announce extraordinary elections by the end 
 
PODGORICA 00000261  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
of 2008.  SL's Andrija Mandic called on the protestors to be 
brave and persistent in contesting the decision of the 
government.  Opposition Movement for Change (PzP) leader Nebojsa 
Medojevic attended the rally, along with other party officials, 
but none addressed the crowd. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Serbian Orthodox played a central role in the 
demonstration.  Metropolitan Amfilohije was both an organizer 
and a prominent speaker at the rally. He claimed that the GoM's 
decision did not respect the will of the majority of the 
Montenegrin people, and called the decision "treason."  Just as 
he was concluding his almost hour-long speech, demonstrators 
broke through the police barricade outside the parliament 
building. Police reacted with tear gas to disperse the crowd and 
protesters responded by hurling stones, fire crackers and flares 
at the police.  A large contingent of police officers, along 
with a special police squad, moved in to seal off the parliament 
building, the nearby Presidency, and the neighboring streets. 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Amfilohije and the organizers appealed to the crowd to 
disperse in peace, but without success. Protesters chanted 
"Treason, Treason" and "Kosovo is Serbia" as well as slogans 
against Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, accusing him of 
"betraying Kosovo."  In the melee, some protesters broke through 
the police cordon in front of the parliament, throwing stones 
through windows. 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Most of those hospitalized suffered minor injuries 
caused by stones or police batons. Police reportedly detained 28 
demonstrators. As the crowd dispersed, several groups of 
hooligans continued running through the streets, breaking 
windows and setting fire to garbage cans, but the damage was 
minimal. The Ministry of Interior later announced that 
additional demonstrations would be banned in view of the violent 
behavior at the October 13 rally.  Opposition plans for another 
rally on October 16 have been cancelled. 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) The ruling DPS condemned the violence and destruction 
of property in the streets of downtown Podgorica. The DPS 
statement professed disappointment with hooligan attacks on 
government facilities.  SNP's Lalosevic also condemned the 
violence, stating that the rally organizers had no connection 
with those who carried it out and that the majority of people 
who came to the rally were intended to protest peacefully. 
 
 
 
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Comment 
 
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¶10. (SBU) Most local analysts do not believe the opposition will 
succeed in reversing the GoM's decision on Kosovo or initiating 
a referendum on the question.  Many likewise believe that that 
the protests will be short-lived, with the opposition now 
chastened by the burst of violence.  Nevertheless, it is too 
soon to say definitively whether the October 13 rally will mark 
the end of the opposition's effort to build momentum against 
recognition and the ruling coalition generally.  We note that, 
in spite of earlier indications to the contrary, Serbian 
Ambassador to Montenegro Zoran Lutovac has remained at his post 
in Podgorica.  End Comment. 
MOORE