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Cablegate: Zagreb Weekly Report - November 6, 2009

VZCZCXRO7351
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHVB #0665 3171342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131342Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9646
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000665

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY REPORT - NOVEMBER 6, 2009

1. (U) CROATIAN AND US SOLDIERS DEPLOY TO AFGHANINSTAN:
The second rotation of the 25-soldier Combined
Croatia-Minnesota National Guard Combat Support Operational
Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) arrived at Camp Mike Spann
October 29, 2009. The new team has started the hand-over
procedures and was expected to complete the hand-over by
November 5. Prior to deployment the combined
Croatia-Minnesota National Guard Team trained together in
Croatia for approximately four-weeks, which included a trip
to the local Mosque to enhance their cultural awareness of
Islam. (CDAVIS)

2. (U) CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CALENDAR SET:
The Government's decision setting the dates for presidential
race was published in the National Gazetteer on 4 November,
which formally determines the election calendar. Last week,
the government announced that the first round election will
be held on December 27, 2009 and the second round on January
10, 2010. The November 4 date marks the start of the 12-day
deadline for collecting 10,000 signatures required to be a
presidential candidate. The candidates are required to
submit the signatures to the State Electoral Commission
within that deadline. The State Electoral Commission will
vet the signatures and then publicly announce the candidates
that met the requirements to be officially placed on the
ballet two days later on November 18, 2009. (DMEGES)

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3. (U) USKOK FILES INDICTMENTS IN THE PUKANIC AND FRANJIC
MURDURS
On October 26, the Office for Suppression of Organized Crime
and Corruption (USKOK), filed an indictment with the Zagreb
County Court against six defendants in the Pukanic and
Franjic murders. Ivo Pukanic, journalist and president of
the NCL Media Group, and Niko Franjic, his marketing vice
president, were killed in a car bombing in October 2008. The
charges against the six indictees -- Robert Matanic, Luka
Matanic, Amir Mafalanij, Zeljko Milovanovic, Bojan Guduric
and Slobodan Qurovic -- claim that, as members of an
organized crime group, they committed two murders and other
criminal acts relating to car bombing. Local media report
that in the first half of 2008, shady Serbian businessman,
Sreten Jocic, approached Djurovic to organize a group to
murder Pukanic for roughly $2 million. The murder was
allegedly ordered to prevent Pukanic from writing a series of
articles about the activities of organized crime groups in
the region. (VDJUKIC)

4. (U) REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON "WITNESS & VICTIM SUPPORT"
On October 26 PolOff attended a regional conference on
"Witnesses & Victim Support" organized by the UNDP Mission to
Croatia. The conference gathered high level representatives
from the Croatia's judiciary -- including the Minister of
Justice, President of the Supreme Court, and Chief State
Prosecutor. The conference was also attended by the Minister
of Justice of the Republic of Macedonia, and representatives
of relevant judicial institutions in the region that deal
with witness and victim support issues. The aim of the
conference was to present the results of the UNDP project
entitled "Development of System for Witness and Victims
Support" and to share best practices with countries in the
region. (CZIMMER)
FOLEY

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