UNCLAS BELGRADE 001917

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SR MW YI
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SERBIA: ALBANIANS CONSIDERING PARTICIPATION IN
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Almost all Albanian party leaders from southern
Serbia have expressed support for a joint Albanian list in Serbia's
upcoming Parliamentary elections. Party leaders hope to announce an
agreement by November 28, but remain wary that one or more parties
will reverse and mount a boycott campaign. Alongside USG and OSCE
encouragement, some party representatives told us that Kosovo
Albanian leaders in Pristina are urging Albanians in the Presevo
Valley to participate. Albanian participation in elections, after
years of boycotts, would send a positive signal of their commitment
to a future within Serbia. END SUMMARY


2. (U) Embassy and OSCE representatives chaired a private
roundtable discussion with all Albanian political party leaders at
the OSCE regional headquarters in Bujanovac on November 22. Poloff
and OSCE coordinator Martin Brooks urged them to participate unified
behind a single list. The new Serbian election law affords
minorities an easier threshold for parliamentary representation,
making it likely that a combined Albanian list could result in
between one and three MPs in Belgrade. This would mark the first
time in decades that Albanians would participate in Serbian
elections, and would represent a major step towards multiethnic
representation in Serbia.


3. (U) Riza Halimi, leader of the largest and most influential party
(PVD), lent support to a joint list and was joined by Skender
Destani (DUD) and - perhaps surprisingly - hardliner Jonuz Musliu
(LPD). (Note: Halimi, who is respected and a fixture of south
Serbia politics for decades, is a natural choice to be first on the
list for Parliamentary representation. End Note.) Presevo Mayor
Ragmi Mustafa (PDSh) was the only major party leader to refrain from
supporting participation, citing the need for more consultations
within his party. One minor party, a hardline splinter from
Musliu's LPD, announced it would reconsider a previous decision to
boycott in light of USG and OSCE messages.


4. (SBU) Poloff met privately with Mustafa to emphasize the USG view
that Albanian participation would represent a positive step for
regional stability and the interests of the Albanians in Serbia.
Mustafa said he was already advocating participation but some within
his party were not convinced it was the right move, citing local
concerns about Serbian militarization and lack of attention by
Belgrade. The Mayor acknowledged that Albanian representation in
Parliament would allow Albanians to address their concerns in a
higher profile setting, and promised to "redouble his efforts" to
convince his party to support the list.


5. (U) Leaders at the roundtable uniformly expressed the need to
come to decision soon and agreed that 11/28 (also Albanian Flag Day)
could provide an appropriate symbolic occasion for a public
announcement and to begin the necessary gathering and certification
of signatures to put a list on the ballot.


6. (SBU) SUMMARY: While obstacles remain (e.g., Mustafa's customary
harder-line stance), the fact that so many Albanian leaders are
having a serious discussion about a joint list represents a positive
step forward. Although the Albanian parties are worried that one or
more among them will break away and mount a boycott campaign for
their own local interests, USG and international community attention
and pressure (as well as from leaders in Pristina) will be important
to keeping the Albanian parties united and on track to participate.
END SUMMARY.

POLT