Cablegate: South Serbia: Albanians, Government Agree to Ethnic Balance

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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #0292/01 0931456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031456Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1142
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNS/NSC WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000292

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE (P. PETERSON)

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL SR
SUBJECT: SOUTH SERBIA: ALBANIANS, GOVERNMENT AGREE TO ETHNIC BALANCE
IN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE

REF: (A) Belgrade 154, (B) 08 Belgrade 800

Summary
-------

1. (SBU) Following several months of on-again, off-again
discussions, representatives of the Serbian government and the South
Serbia Albanians on March 27 signed an OSCE-mediated agreement on
reconfiguration of the Coordinating Body for South Serbia, a
government institution formed in the aftermath of an Albanian
insurgency in the region in late 2000. The agreement paves the way
for the Albanians to rejoin the Coordinating Body after a two-year
absence. More importantly, it commits the signatories to
establishing multiethnic local governments in Presevo, Bujanovac,
and Medvedja municipalities and to ensuring adequate inclusion of
Albanians in local-level state institutions. Although the agreement
is an important breakthrough for this economically depressed and
ethnically mixed region, the devil will be in the details as past
attempts to reinvigorate the Coordinating Body foundered amidst
political squabbling. End Summary.

Nuts and Bolts
--------------

2. (U) On March 27, Milan Markovic, Minister of State
Administration and Local Self Government and Head of the
Coordinating Body (CB) for Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja
municipalities, and Riza Halimi, the sole Albanian member of the
National Assembly, signed an agreement on "principles of
reconstruction of the CB" on behalf of the GOS and South Serbia
Albanians respectively. Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, head of the
Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) Mission
to Serbia, also signed the document as a guarantor. Markovic,
Halimi, Presevo Mayor Nader Sadiku, Bujanovac Mayor Saip Kamberi,
Medvedja Mayor Slobodan Draskovic, and Bujanovac Municipal Assembly
President Jonuz Musliu then signed a "decision on CB organization
and competencies." The signing ceremony brought to a close several
months of negotiations brokered by the OSCE during which we and our
British colleagues intervened on several occasions to ensure that
the process continued moving forward (Ref A).

3. (U) The agreement, essentially a declaration of intentions,
endorses the terms of the decision and commits the parties to
establishing multiethnic local governments in Presevo, Bujanovac,
and Medvedja and to ensuring adequate inclusion of Albanians in
local-level state institutions like courts and the police. The
decision, which the GOS approved at its April 2 cabinet meeting, in
turns lays out a vision for a reformed and reconfigured CB,
including the creation of core and expanded presidencies and six
thematic working groups which will tackle issues such as economic
development, education, capacity building of local self-governments,
and security. The decision mandates that all decisions within the
core and expanded presidencies will be made by consensus, a key
concession sought by the Albanians.

Reaction and Potential Obstacles
--------------------------------

4. (SBU) The majority of South Serbia actors welcomed the agreement,
which also received favorable press coverage. Former Bujanovac
Mayor Stojanca Arsic, whose Serb citizens' group that controls three
seats in the Bujanovac assembly stands to benefit directly, told us
that the agreement was "super" and would lead to greater stability
in the local government and amongst the population of Bujanovac,
which is up 35-40% Serb.

5. (SBU) However, some political parties in the local opposition
expressed dissatisfaction with the agreement, arguing that Minister
Markovic and MP Halimi had failed to adequately consult with them.
In Presevo, Albanians Skender Destani, head of the Democratic Union
of the Valley (BDL), and Naser Haziri, representing a citizens'
group, threatened to topple the local government, led by Halimi's
Party for Democratic Action (PDD). In Bujanovac, representatives of
the Serbian Radical Party, Democratic Party of Serbia, New Serbia,
Serbian Strength Movement, and the Serbian Renewal Movement, which
hold a total of nine seats in the local assembly, released a
statement questioning Minister Markovic's motivations and disputing
his mandate to act on their behalf. The statement also expressed
these Serb parties' fear that "the Serb population of South Serbia
soon would face the same fate as Kosovo Serbs."

Next Steps
----------

6. (SBU) In addition to moving forward quickly to stand up the six
working groups, we believe establishing a new municipal government

BELGRADE 00000292 002 OF 002

in Bujanovac should be the top priority for the reformed CB. The
local government formed after May 2008 local elections excluded
local Serbs and became a serious irritant to GOS engagement in the
region (Ref B). Formation in a timely fashion of a new government
that includes Serb representation, mostly likely Dr. Arsic's
citizens' group or the Democratic Party, would be a crucial sign of
good will by the Albanians in relations with Minister Markovic.

7. (SBU) In parallel, the burden will be squarely upon the GOS
officials in the CB to meet the main demand put forth by the
Albanians during the negotiations, which is ensuring that Albanians
are integrated adequately in local-level state institutions such as
the police, courts, and public enterprises. Despite the fact that
Albanians make up 50-55% of the population in Bujanovac and at least
90% in Presevo, the majority of employees in state institutions in
these municipalities, especially senior management, are Serbian.
Therefore, although this process understandably will require greater
efforts and a longer timeframe, its implementation would demonstrate
the seriousness of the GOS.

Comment
-------

8. (SBU) As Minister Markovic pointed out during a short
conversation with the Ambassador before the signing ceremony, the
agreement reforming the Coordinating Body engenders substantial
risks for him and MP Halimi. By putting aside what at times had
become a personal dispute and reaching across the aisle, Markovic
and Halimi essentially linked their professional reputations to
success of the agreement. While the agreement is an important step
forward, past attempts to revitalize the complex relationship
between the GOS and its ethnic Albanian citizens in South Serbia
failed shortly after the ink dried. Failure of the agreement this
time around would create political instability that could be
compounded by the effects of the ongoing economic crisis. We
believe however that with continued pressure from the international
community successful implementation remains within reach. End
Comment.

BRUSH

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