HDZ CONVENTION: EX-CONGRESSMAN SUGGESTS U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001439 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2013 TAGS: PGOV PREL HR NATO SUBJECT: HDZ CONVENTION: EX-CONGRESSMAN SUGGESTS U.S. SUPPORT FOR HDZ REF: ZAGREB 1230 CLASSIFIED BY: NICHOLAS HILL, POLECON COUNSELOR, FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) A ND (D). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) IVO SANADER IS PULLING OUT THE STOPS TO PRESENT HIS PARTY AS PRO-WEST AND RESPECTABLE. HDZ'S ANNUAL CONVENTION TOOK PLACE JUNE 21, AN EVENT SOME EXPECTED TO BE A YAWNER SINCE NO PARTY SEATS WERE UP FOR ELECTION. HDZ PRESENTED EX-U.S. CONGRESSMAN GUY VANDER JAGT AS THE CONVENTION'S KEYNOTE SPEAKER. TO THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE, VANDER JAGT CLAIMED THAT IVO SANADER HAD THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, IN PARTICULAR, VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY AND SECRETARY RUMSFELD. FOR HIS PART, SANADER'S SPEECH WAS MODERATE IN TONE. IN REMARKS AFTER THE CONVENTION, HE DEFLECTED QUESTIONS ABOUT INDICTED WAR CRIMINAL ANTE GOTOVINA. ACCORDING TO HDZ OFFICIALS, TURNOUT AT THE CONVENTION WAS ALMOST 6,000, MUCH LARGER THAN LAST YEAR'S. SANADER LOOKS TO HAVE CONSOLIDATED HIS HOLD ON TUDJMAN'S OLD PARTY. THE EMBASSY ISSUED A STATEMENT AFTER THE CONVENTION EXPLAINING THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ENDORSE ANY CANDIDATES. END SUMMARY U.S. SUPPORTS THE HDZ? -------------- ¶2. (C) KEEN TO SHOW THAT HDZ IS REFORMING AND HAS CREDIBILITY IN THE WEST, PARTY PRESIDENT IVO SANADER ASKED GUY VANDER JAGT, FORMER REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FROM MICHIGAN, TO DELIVER THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS. VANDER JAGT -- WHO DELIVERED THE NOMINATING SPEECH AT THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION FOR RONALD REAGAN IN 1980 -- TOLD THE THRONG AT ZAGREB'S CIBONA BASKETBALL ARENA THAT MUCH OF WASHINGTON'S REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT WAS BEHIND HDZ. HE ASSERTED THAT THE REPUBLICANS APPRECIATED IN PARTICULAR HDZ'S SUPPORT ON IRAQ. VANDER JAGT CLAIMED IN HIS SPEECH THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD AND VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY JUST SIPDIS BEFORE DEPARTING FOR CROATIA. THE DEFENSE SECRETARY, ACCORDING TO VANDER JAGT, TOLD HIM TO DO A GOOD JOB TO HELP THE HDZ. RUMSFELD, HE CLAIMED, EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR SANADER'S SUPPORT ON IRAQ. REFERRING TO SANADER AS CROATIA'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER, VANDER JAGT CALLED ON HDZ TO SWEEP THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT OUT OF OFFICE -- AND, IN SO DOING, HE PRESSED ALL THE HOT ECONOMIC AND NATIONALIST BUTTONS. ¶3. (C) VANDER JAGT WAS AMONG SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL VIPS INVITED. HE WAS NOT INTRODUCED AS A "FORMER" CONGRESSMAN; THE CLEAR AIM WAS TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION ENDORSES HDZ AND WANTS TO GET THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT OUT OF OFFICE. THE EX-CONGRESSMAN'S APPEARANCE WAS ARRANGED BY FORMER CROATIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. MIOMIR ZUZUL. IN CONTRAST TO VANDER JAGT AND SEVERAL OTHER EUROPEAN SPEAKERS, DORIS PACK, PRESIDENT OF THE EU PARLIAMENT'S COMMISSION FOR SOUTHEAST EUROPE, DELIVERED WHAT WAS LESS OF A PEP TALK. SHE WAS SUBSTANTIVE AND CONVEYED THE FAMILIAR THEMES ABOUT CROATIA'S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS. WHEN SHE SAID SHE HOPED INDICTED WAR CRIMINAL ANTE GOTOVINA WOULD GO TO THE HAGUE, THE AUDIENCE HISSED LOUDLY. (SANADER DID NOT TOUCH ON GOTOVINA IN HIS PREPARED REMARKS, BUT WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT IN A SUBSEQUENT HTV INTERVIEW, HE DISSEMBLED: "IN OPPOSITION," HE DID NOT HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO MAKE AN INFORMED JUDGMENT.) SPIN CONTROL -------------- ¶4. (C) WE PREPARED PRESS GUIDANCE TO GET OUT THE MESSAGE THAT VANDER JAGT'S VIEWS DID NOT REPRESENT THOSE OF THE USG. THE CROATIAN PRESS'S TRACK RECORD OF FACT CHECKING IS NOT GREAT, AND WE WANTED TO BE SURE PEOPLE KNEW VANDER JAGT IS NOT CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF CONGRESS. IN ADDITION, WE REACHED OUT TO KEY ADVISORS OF PM RACAN AND PQSIDENT MESIC TO MAKE SURE THEY GOT THE WORD. BOTH ARE FAMOUS FOR LEADING WITH THEIR CHINS WHERE THE PRESS IS CONCERNED, AND WE DID NOT WANT TO SEE THEM COMMENTING ON REMARKS BY VANDER JAGT, THE FULL BACKGROUND OF WHICH THEY DID NOT HAVE. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) FOR HIS PART, SANADER HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE HE DEFEATED HARD LINER IVIC PASALIC IN A HOTLY CONTESTED LEADERSHIP STRUGGLE A YEAR AGO. HE HAS CONSOLIDATED HIS BASE AND JETTISONED A NUMBER OF THE MORE PROBLEMATIC FIGURES FROM POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY IN THE PARTY. INDEED, HE KICKED A PROMINENT HDZ RIGHT-WINGER, LJUBO CESIC-ROJS, OUT OF THE PARTY. AS ONE COMMENTARY PUT IT AFTER THE CONVENTION, HOWEVER, SANADER STILL HAS A LONG WAY TO GO TO CONVINCE CROATIAN VOTERS -- AS DISTINCT FROM HDZ ACTIVISTS -- THAT HIS PARTY ENJOYS INTERNATIONAL RESPECTABILITY. AND IF THE PARTY ZAGREB 00001439 002 OF 002 RTNERS, THE DEMOCRATIC CENTER (DC) AND THE CROATIAN LIBERAL PARTY (HSLS) SENT SECOND TIER REPRESENTATIVES. THE PEASANTS PARTY (HSS),THE SECOND BIGGEST IN THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT -- AND THE WIDELY-REPUTED "KINGMAKER-TO-BE" -- SENT NOBODY. HSS HAD BEEN RUMORED FOR MONTHS TO HAVE BEEN FLIRTING WITH HDZ. ROSSIN NNNN