VOJVODINA LEADERSHIP EYES GREATER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000950 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE BUDAPEST FOR POL - NICK GRIFFITH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SR HU SUBJECT: VOJVODINA LEADERSHIP EYES GREATER AUTONOMY BELGRADE 00000950 001.9 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: Leaders in Vojvodina report that interethnic relations among the national communities living in the province are currently peaceful, noting that there has been no violence among ethnic groups in recent months. Local leaders are more concerned with pressuring the Serbian government to grant the region greater autonomy, with an eye on looming parliamentary elections and the possibility of a new constitution being adopted. End Summary. -------------- "Eerily Quiet" in Vojvodina -------------- ¶2. (U) In a meeting with Bojan Kostres, Speaker of the Assembly of Vojvodina, and his advisor, Aleksandar Kravic, Kostres claimed that relations among ethnic groups are "very good right now, but can easily be provoked." Following tension in the spring of 2004, the situation improved after a visit of the Hungarian President to Belgrade and Novi Sad. Croat Djordje Covic, Vice Secretary for Legislation, Administration and National Minorities, agreed, stating that relations are quite peaceful at the moment. Pavel Domonji, an ethnic Slovak who works with the Vojvodina branch of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, noted that it is "eerily quiet" in Vojvodina right now. -------------- The Push for Greater Autonomy -------------- ¶3. (U) More importantly, both Kostres and Covic urged the need for Vojvodina to return to the pre-Milosevic era of substantial autonomy. Kostres stressed that Vojvodina "wants to continue to be a part of Serbia, but a distinct part," in order to allow the multiethnic region to have its own legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as control of its economy. Currently, the police and the judiciary are dominated by Serbs and run centrally from Belgrade, but Kostres and Covic would like these bodies to be more representative of the diverse population in the province and for the province to exercise not exclusive but significant control over them. Once greater autonomy is achieved, Kostres noted that Vojvodina will serve as an example for the entire region of how a multiethnic region can effectively and efficiently exist. -------------- Relations with the Serbian Government -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In their struggle for greater autonomy, however, Kostres and Covic remain skeptical that they will receive any cooperation from Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's government. In fact, Kostres claimed that Kostunica is trying to decrease Vojvodina's autonomy and is simply disingenuous about granting the province any further powers. Most importantly, Kostres believes that the Serbian government wants to control Vojvodina's resources and economy in general, which has always been one of the strongest in the country. Covic, too, noted that Vojvodina has only received empty promises from Kostunica's government. During these meetings, both leaders were very aware of the importance that international pressure can play on the Serbian government and are hopeful that U.S. support will influence the situation. ¶5. (U) Comment: With the possibility of elections in the fall becoming ever more likely, there has been increasing speculation in the press - fuelled by occasional DS and DSS statements - that a deal on a new constitution is once again in the works. If so, democratic parties would probably rather see the work done BELGRADE 00000950 002.2 OF 002 prior to elections, rather than risk handing over the task to a Radical-led government. In this atmosphere, leadership elements in Vojvodina undoubtedly see an opportunity to restore at least some of the competencies they enjoyed under the pre-Milosevic autonomy arrangement. As fall approaches we expect that calls for autonomy will increase from some of Vojvodina's political leadership. End comment. POLT