Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BELGRADE1960
2006-12-05 06:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Belgrade
Cable title:  

Seselj's Hunger Strike Increasing Attention for

Tags:  PGOV KDEM SR YI PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6222
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #1960/01 3390630
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050630Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9837
INFO RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 3605
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1260
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 001960 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SR YI PREL
SUBJECT: Seselj's Hunger Strike Increasing Attention for
the Radicals

REF:

-------
SUMMARY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 001960

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SR YI PREL
SUBJECT: Seselj's Hunger Strike Increasing Attention for
the Radicals

REF:

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (SBU) The Serbian Radical party is keenly focusing its
campaign for parliamentary elections in January on the
continuing hunger strike of their leader, Vojislav Seselj,
currently on trial in the Hague. As the campaign trail
heats up, the Radicals will likely continue to exploit
Seselj's latest antics as a way to ramp up a campaign
message that is anti-Hague, and anti-West. Despite the
surprise NATO announcement on PfP that could complicate the
anti-West strategy, and some discord between the leadership
in Belgrade and their leader in the Hague, the Radicals are
mobilizing throughout the country to gather signatures and
stage rallies in support of Seselj and his hateful and
anti-Western message. End Summary.

Hunger Strike Garnering Sympathy
--------------


2. (SBU) Fresh off the controversial death of former
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic while in custody at
The Hague, Seselj's hunger strike over alleged ICTY
mistreatment is again rousing anti-Hague sentiment amongst
the populace. Seselj is demanding that the tribunal allow
him to chose his own defense council, unrestricted visits
from his wife, that all documents submitted to him be in
Serbian (not Serbo-Croatian),and the latest, that all his
foreign currency assets outside of Serbia, specifically in
the US, be unfrozen. Seselj has been on his self-imposed
hunger strike for approximately three weeks now in protest.
He was moved into the hospital wing of the detention center
on November 30--the SRS says against his will--over
concerns that his health condition is endangered.


3. (SBU) Seselj is echoing Milosevic's accusation that the
Tribunal was set up by secret international agencies, and
accusing the US and the west of plotting to kill him.
Seselj refused to appear during the first day of his trial
on November 27, and therefore lost his right to conduct his
own defense. The trial is now adjourned indefinitely
because of concerns over Seselj's condition.


4. (SBU) Ljiljiana Smajlovic, editor-in-chief of pro-
government daily Politika, stoked the anti-Hague sentiment
in a commentary on November 28, asserting the Tribunal was

making a mistake by imposing council on Seselj and accusing
him of obstructing the trial, a charge she called ludicrous
given that he has been waiting four years for his trial to
even begin. Smajlovic said that the tribunal is weakening
itself even further in Serbian public opinion by its latest
actions.


5. (SBU) Seselj's hunger strike will likely continue to
hold the attention of Serbia, both through media, and SRS
rallies and booths set up in Belgrade and Serbia-wide to
collect signatures in support of Seselj. The Radicals held
a rally on November 23 near the parliament building,
carrying Seselj's pictures, waiving party flags and
shouting "Release Seselj." A much larger event was held on
Saturday, December 2 in front of the US Embassy, with
20,000-25,000 people showing up carrying banners with
pictures of Seselj, Mladic and Milosevic. Speeches by the
SRS leadership were hate-filled harangues accusing the U.S.
of using the Hague Tribunal to murder its leadership and
destroy Serbia. The Radicals also attacked Tadic and
Kostunica as U.S. lackeys. Their campaign continued on
December 3, with party leaders publicly reading out
Seselj's last will and testament, which called on them to
never to abandon their ideology of a "Greater Serbia" and
to oppose Serbia's entry into NATO and even the EU.

Campaign Theme for the Radicals: The Hague not Kosovo
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) The demonstration in front of the Embassy on
December 2 suggests that the SRS is opting to focus on a
backward looking anti-Hague, anti-West campaign message
instead of responding to the economic frustrations of its
base. Because the DSS has already seized Kosovo as their
main rallying cry, the SRS has been content to echo and
reinforce the PM's hard line on the Kosovo issue. Asked by
reporters if the SRS would try and avoid leading the next
government in order to blame Tadic and Kostunica for losing
Kosovo, Deputy SRS leader Nikolic said he would not accuse

BELGRADE 00001960 002 OF 003


anyone in Serbia for a bad outcome on Kosovo's final
status. "How can I accuse them for a solution that will be
passed by Marti Ahtisaari? If the solution is negative,
i.e. if Kosovo gains any form of independence or if the
present state remains, then that solution will be
unacceptable for all of Serbia and it will simply have to
react," said Nikolic.


7. (SBU) NATO's surprise decision to invite Serbia to
participate in PfP may complicate the Radicals strategy as
the announcement has been viewed positively both by the
public and by the NGO's that have been strongly supportive
of the ICTY. The Radicals have not commented on the PfP
decision as of yet and their silence has not been raised by
the media or challenged by the other parties. In any
event, we expect the Radicals' rhetoric against the West to
increase in the weeks leading up to the election. It will
be interesting to see how they balance the anti-West themes
in their anti-Hague effort with the public's largely
positive reaction to PfP membership.


8. (SBU) The party emerged from the Constitutional
referendum and the subsequent passage of the Constitutional
law, looking very much as winners: they foiled Kostunica's
alleged promise to the DS of joint presidential and
parliamentary elections before the end of the year and took
credit for adding references to the Constitution that
strengthened Serbia's national claim on Kosovo. By
supporting the referendum, the Radicals enhanced its image
as a "nation-building" party, dedicated to defending the
country's territory and sovereignty. The media's gingerly
treatment of the Radicals and the PM's careful avoidance of
any public criticism of their rhetoric, has deepened
suspicion among some that SRS, SPS and DSS are reserving
their options for some variation on a possible National
Unity Government that would bring all parties together in a
Serbian government united against an independence outcome
in the Kosovo talks.


9. (SBU) Most recently, however, the SRS has lashed out at
the DSS in reaction to damning testimony in the high-
profile trial on the killing of former PM Zoran Djindjic,
and accused the government of manipulating a key witness to
suggest an SRS hand in Djindic's death. In its "anger,"
the SRS publicly claimed it would never join in coalition
with the DSS and would only rule alone or in partnership
with ethnic Bosniak and Hungarian minority parties, an
offer which both flatly refused. The DS exploited the
breach by calling on the DSS to declare before the
elections which parties they would and would not be in
coalition with. The DSS has refused to answer but the SRS
continued to attack the DSS and Kostunica in person during
its rally over the weekend. The PfP decision and the
process that Serbia faces to accept the invitation, will
give the DS additional fodder for pushing the DSS to come
clean and clarify its electoral plans.

Discord Amongst the Radicals?
--------------


10. (SBU) Meanwhile, the Radical leadership, including
Nikolic and the young ambitious Secretary-General,
Alekandar Vucic, are reportedly frustrated with Seselj's
antics and heavy handed directives from the Hague. Despite
Seselj's reportedly poor condition, our sources tell us
Seselj has access to a cell phone and calls his wife and
party officials regularly to try to continue organizing the
day-to-day activities of the party. The SRS continues to
follow Seselj's guidance, support him in The Hague and
consult with him on official party business. He is listed
first on the party's ballot list which is officially named:
"Serbian Radical Party--Vojislav Seselj." However, Nikolic
and Vucic reportedly continue to look for ways to
circumvent his orders, while still publicly maintaining
their fierce loyalty.

Comment
--------------


11. (SBU) The controversy over Seselj's condition at the
beginning of election season will likely provide at least a
small boost to the Radicals as they exploit the anti-Hague
sentiment already boiling in Serbia. Even with the trial
suspended, we expect the Radical's to continue banging on
the anti-Hague drum with any worsening in Seselj's
condition playing to their advantage. Seselj's personal
involvement in the Radicals electoral campaign may
backfire: extending their anti-West message even to the EU,

BELGRADE 00001960 003 OF 003


which the vast majority of Serbs support as the key to
Serbia's future is a dangerous tactic that party leaders
here have sought to avoid.


POLT