SERBIA: MIXED MESSAGES ON CEKU NOMINATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BELGRADE 000341

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2016
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PINR PREL SR YI
SUBJECT: SERBIA: MIXED MESSAGES ON CEKU NOMINATION

REF: A. A) PRISTINA 172


B. B) PRISTINA 187

Classified By: Amb. Polt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: While the Serbian government declared
publicly that Agim Ceku's nomination as Kosovo's prime
minister is "unacceptable," in private conversations with
poloffs, government officials have been much more practical
and indicated a "wait-and-see" approach to gauge how the new
premier will affect ongoing talks on Kosovo's final status.
End Summary.

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Public Rejection of Ceku's Appointment
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2. (U) The government's press office director, Srdjan Djuric,
said yesterday that the appointment of Ceku to any public
office was "unacceptable" to the Serbian government. Djuric
emphasized that Serbia had issued an international arrest
warrant for Ceku on charges of genocide against Serbs in
Kosovo. President Tadic told the press that while Serbia
does not choose Kosovo's premiers, he did not think it was a
good idea for "former warriors" to become political leaders
and he hoped the nomination would "not cause a
destabilization of the entire region and jeopardize the Serb
ethnic community in Kosovo." Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, chair of
the Coordination Center for Kosovo (CCK),was the first to
comment publicly on the change in Kosovo leadership on March
1, calling the move a signal that Kosovo Albanians were
becoming radicalized and were turning away from compromise.


3. (U) Most Belgrade media reported the government's negative
reaction to the nomination, emphasizing Ceku's alleged
involvement in war crimes against Serbs. Several articles
mentioned that Ceku had been arrested twice, first in
Slovenia, then in Hungary, based on his international arrest
warrant. However, besides the independent daily Danas, the
media did not carry the story on their front pages. Glas
carried the story on page 3 under the headline, "Terrorist to
Head Kosovo Government," accompanied by a large photo of Ceku
in uniform. Vesti also carried the story on page 3 with the
headline, "Premier With a Warrant" and a short biography of
Ceku. Tabloids also noted Serbian Radical Party leader
Tomislav Nikolic's call for "no communication with the
criminal Ceku."

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More Practical Private Message
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4. (C) Privately, government officials offered a more
tempered and tentative reaction. Aleksandar Simic, advisor
to Prime Minister Kostunica, said his government would
withhold judgment and wait to see how Ceku would affect the
talks on Kosovo's final status. Speaking to us before
Djuric's comments were published, Simic ventured that the
government would not even react publicly. An advisor to
President Tadic, Damjan Krnjevic-Miskovic, suggested that
Ceku would be a "more competent" premier than Bajram Kosumi,
and called it a smart political move for the Kosovo Albanians
to choose Ceku. While it may be hard for Serbs to sit across
the table from a war criminal, he said, Ceku's hardliner
reputation may work to the Serbs' advantage. Only a
hardliner such as Ceku could afford politically to grant
concessions to Serbs. Krnjevic-Miskovic also said his
government would withhold judgment until it becomes clear how
prepared the new premier will be for compromise.


5. (C) COMMENT: Despite the government's strong public
statements against Ceku's nomination, it is important to note
the difference between Belgrade's public and private
messages. The latter reinforce our view that Belgrade is
intent on staying at the negotiating table and will wait to
make a practical assessment of how Ceku's appointment will
affect the talks.
POLT