VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVJ #0183/01 0560825
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250825Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1457
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 000183 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/SCE FOR FOOKS, JUKIC, HYLAND 
H PASS HOUSE DEMOCRACY PARTNERSHIP (LIS) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL OVIP BK
SUBJECT: CODEL POMEROY MEETINGS IN BOSNIA, FEBRUARY 14-16 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), in 
Bosnia February 14-16, met with parliamentarians, civil 
society representatives, students, Prime Minister Nikola 
Spiric, and the Bosnian tri-presidency.  Pomeroy outlined the 
functions of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), urging 
Bosnian leaders to undertake reforms necessary for the 
development of their country.  He highlighted the need for 
Bosnian leaders to act now on critical issues without 
awaiting the outcome of October 2010 general elections. 
Priorities should include: EU visa liberalization, compliance 
with the recent ECHR ruling in the Sejdic/Finci case, excess 
weapons destruction, sending a contingent to participate with 
NATO in Afghanistan, and joining the United States and EU in 
confronting Iranian non-compliance with the Nuclear 
Non-Proliferation Treaty in the UNSC.  End Summary. 
 
Meeting with State Parliament Speakers 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In his meetings with the speakers of Bosnia's 
state-level parliament, Rep. Pomeroy commended them for past 
efforts on defense reform and to fulfill many visa 
liberalization requirements, but noted the need for continued 
effort on constitutional reform to improve the functionality 
of the state.  He stressed that any reform of the 
constitution would have to balance honoring individual rights 
while allowing the governing majority to carry out 
initiatives.  Pomeroy said that minority rights cannot mean 
minority veto, but rather respect for the concerns of the 
minority.  After acknowledging the difficult work ahead for 
Bosnian political leaders, Pomeroy described the House 
Democracy Partnership's work, noting that it is aimed at 
building relationships and information exchanges with 
parliaments.  He said that to date the Commission has 14 
partnerships world-wide, including two in the region 
(Macedonia and Kosovo).  Pomeroy explained how the HDP 
assists parliaments with building the capacity of 
parliamentary staff, strengthening parliamentary oversight 
functions, and improving constituent services, but that BiH 
was not yet ready for this partnership. 
 
¶3. (SBU) House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker Milorad 
Zivkovic from the largely Serb Alliance of Independent Social 
Democrats (SNSD) told Pomeroy that Bosnia's political leaders 
might agree on limited reforms to bring the Bosnian 
constitution in line with the European Convention for Human 
Rights by May, but that it was tough to undertake broader 
reform before the October general elections.  Deputy HoR 
Speaker Beriz Belkic from the largely Bosniak Party for 
Bosnia and Herzegovina (SBiH) spoke of politicians being 
hostages to nationalist politics and welcomed continued U.S. 
engagement in reform talks, while Deputy Speaker Niko 
Lozancic from the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ-BiH) spoke of 
the Bosnian political leaders' need for encouragement.  House 
of Peoples Speaker Ilija Filipovic, also HDZ-BiH, focused on 
the plight of Bosnian Croats, saying that they do not "feel 
comfortable" in one entity, or share an equal constitutional 
position.  Filipovic maintained that as long as entity voting 
was possible, Bosnian political leaders would not be able to 
achieve greater progress on needed reforms.  He pointed out 
that the use of entity voting had blocked the passage of more 
than 100 laws to date. 
 
Meeting with PM Spiric 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Rep. Pomeroy told Spiric that he had hoped to see 
more progress on constitutional reform, but noted Bosnia's 
achievements to date on EU visa liberalization.  Pomeroy said 
the United States looks forward to helping Bosnia move along 
the path to EU and NATO membership, and suggested that one 
immediate concrete step BiH could make would be to destroy 
dangerous excess weapons and ammunition.  Pomeroy reminded 
Spiric that the U.S. Congress could provide funding to assist 
with verifiable destruction processes, and that Bosnia's 
progress on this front would move the country closer to 
getting a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP). 
 
¶5. (SBU) Spiric thanked Pomeroy for his visit and for all the 
pivotal assistance that the USG has provided to Bosnia in the 
past.  Spiric listed the four focal points he said he had 
chosen to concentrate on as Prime Minister: 1) meeting 
requirements for EU visa liberalization; 2) achieving MAP 
status; 3) implementing the European Court of Human Rights 
decision on discriminatory provisions in the BiH 
Constitution; and 4) mitigating the effects of the global 
economic crisis.  Spiric asserted that achieving visa-free 
travel and MAP status would be of great benefit to Bosnian 
citizens and give BiH a surge of optimism required for them 
to make other needed reforms, including a restoration of 
trust, which Spiric termed the "mother of all reforms." 
Spiric continued that any prolonged stall on the road to 
Euro-Atlantic integration would only strengthen 
non-democratic forces in Bosnia.  In terms of making progress 
on constitutional reform, Spiric lamented that many in BiH 
continue to look to the past and question the provisions of 
the Dayton Peace Accords, rather then work toward a better 
future.  Spiric said that the Council of Ministers had 
recently tasked the Ministers of Justice and Human Rights and 
Refugees with creating an action plan to implement the ECHR 
decision.  He stated his belief that this could be done as 
long as other political factors do not try to widen the 
discussion to include more "radical" constitutional changes. 
 
Meeting with Presidency 
----------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) In his meeting with Bosnia's Tri-Presidency members 
(ethnic Croat Zeljko Komsic, Bosniak Haris Silajdzic, and 
Serb Nebojsa Radmanovic), Rep. Pomeroy outlined the 
activities of the House Democracy Partnership, but stressed 
that Bosnia would need to undertake significant reforms 
before the HDP would be in a position to begin such a 
relationship here.  Specifically, Rep. Pomeroy noted progress 
made thus far on visa liberalization, and suggested that 
Bosnia could do much prior to the October 2010 elections, 
such as agreeing on excess weapons disposal, sending a 
planned contingent to Afghanistan, and reaching agreement, 
along with EU members of the UN Security Council and the 
United States, on a means of dealing with Iranian nuclear 
issues. 
 
¶7. (SBU) All Presidency members said they had reached 
agreement on sending a contingent to Afghanistan, but were 
working through the modalities.  Rep. Pomeroy commended this 
joint decision, but warned that logistical details ought not 
be an excuse for inaction.  On weapons disposal, Komsic 
expressed willingness to move forward with destruction of 
"anything dangerous" immediately, a sentiment that Silajdzic 
echoed, saying he supported destruction as the best of three 
options being debated (to sell, donate, or destroy), and 
hoped for eventual resolution.  Silajdzic supported calls for 
immediate reform, saying he believed constitutional changes, 
even beyond those necessary to comply with the recent ECHR 
ruling, were possible prior to elections.  Radmanovic 
dissented from this, saying he believed there was 
considerable disagreement on constitutional reform, and 
instead called for immediate closure of OHR, which he 
characterized as "an obstacle on our path to the EU."  All 
Presidency members expressed thanks for Rep. Pomeroy's 
personal, and long-standing, interest in Bosnia's well-being, 
and noted positively the USG role over the years in helping 
build stability in Bosnia. 
 
Meeting with HighRep Inzko 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Rep. Pomeroy discussed the current political 
situation in BiH and the role of the Office of the High 
Representative (OHR) with High Representative Inzko.  Inzko 
explained that, although little progress had been made during 
the political stalemate of the last three years, remarkable 
progress could be noted over the last 15 years.  Responding 
to Pomeroy's question about international support for (and 
the future of) OHR, Inzko mentioned possible EU plans to 
reduce their contributions to OHR by 25 percent.  As to the 
future, Inzko said he felt that even after BiH politicians 
meet the "five-plus-two" conditions for OHR closure, there 
will always be a need to have a mechanism to help interpret 
the Dayton Peace Accords.  When asked about his three top 
priorities, Inzko said constitutional reform, education 
issues such as stopping school segregation, and improving the 
economy and business climate (including BiH making better use 
of its natural renewable energy resources). 
 
Lunch with Civil Society Reps 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Pomeroy met with journalists, academics, and NGO 
representatives as well, outlining House Democracy 
Partnership programs in Macedonia and Kosovo, and stressing 
the value of peer-to-peer consultations with foreign 
parliamentarians.  Queried by Pomeroy about their views on 
the current political impasse, civil society interlocutors 
bemoaned the deteriorating situation in Bosnia, 
characterizing local politicians as "entrenched" in the 
status quo.  Commenting on the schools, media, and 
government, they claimed that "there is a comprehensive 
program to ethnically divide" the country and to "prove that 
we cannot live together." 
 
¶10. (SBU) Interlocutors said that Bosnian media is not able 
to independently report on events in the country, with each 
outlet tending to represent only one ethnic or political 
perspective.  They also highlighted the problem of schools 
that are increasingly focused on a single nationality or 
religion, noting that the currently-graduating high-school 
students are the first generation to have never lived in an 
ethnically-diverse society.  Participants said they believe 
that NATO accession is more important to BiH than EU, because 
security is the highest priority and NATO is the only 
institution that can provide any guarantees.  When asked who 
they needed to be secure from, they responded "ourselves." 
Interlocutors also complained about the lethargy within civil 
society organizations, saying that "civil society is quiet" 
and does not effectively partner with the government.  NGOs 
are focused on their own survival, or on simply criticizing 
the government rather than trying to work within the system 
to improve the situation, they said. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Participants commented that Bosnian politicians 
have been "negotiating things that are non-negotiable," such 
as human rights, without addressing more contentious issues, 
and for which a negotiated solution could exist.  When asked 
by Rep. Pomeroy why they vote for these politicians, the 
participants responded that there are no alternatives, and 
that there has yet to be a truly "free and democratic 
elections" as all elections occur in an "atmosphere of fear." 
 
 
Breakfast with Students 
----------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) On February 15, Rep. Pomeroy had a private 
breakfast with university students from American University 
Bosnia-Herzegovina and the University of Sarajevo in which 
students discussed their personal and professional 
aspirations.  He then explained the structure and functioning 
of the U.S. Congress, and shared with them some experiences 
from his 18-year tenure. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) CODEL Pomeroy provided helpful and timely 
reinforcement on a number of key issues where Bosnia can and 
should take steps now to move forward on a path of 
Euro-Atlantic integration:  constitutional reform, excess 
weapons destruction, UNSC voting on Iran, and participation 
in ISAF.  Rep. Pomeroy's clear expression of 
legislative-executive unity in pushing for these steps, in 
pursuit of Bosnia's own stability, played an important part 
of our ongoing bipartisan and USG-wide effort to encourage 
Bosnian leaders to take responsibility for their country's 
well-being.  End Comment. 
 
¶14. (U) CODEL Pomeroy cleared on this cable. 
 
 
ENGLISH