SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP, MARCH 31, 2006

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000256

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DRL/IRF, NEA/ARPI, AND EAP/MLS
NSC FOR DAMON WILSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2021
TAGS: PGOV PHUM UNSC KIRF IZ UP BO BM LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP, MARCH 31, 2006

REF: A. BRATISLAVA 214


B. 05 BRATISLAVA 979

C. 05 BRATISLAVA 1010

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Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D
).

DZURINDA SPEAKS WITH MILINKEVICH, INVITES HIM TO VISIT
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1. (C) Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda called Belarusian
opposition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich March 24 to express
his support and to convey Slovakia's offer to allow any
Belarusian students expelled from state universities for
political reasons to continue their studies at Slovak
schools. Milinkevich told Dzurinda that he was very
appreciative of GOS support. Dzurinda also invited
Milinkevich to visit Slovakia, and his staff tells us that
they expect the visit to take place in late April.

UKRAINIANS LEFT IN THE DARK ABOUT SLOVAK PRINTING PRESS
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2. (C) MFA State Secretary (Deputy Minister) Jozef Berenyi
told DCM March 24 that the Slovak government has already sent
a printing press to western Ukraine for the use of the
Belarusian opposition (refs B, C),and further believes that
the opposition will eventually be able to smuggle the press
into Belarus. Interestingly, the Slovak government
purposefully did not inform Ukrainian government about the
press, which was brought in as a "gift to the Rotary Club,"
because of concerns that the Ukrainians would stop the
shipment if given advance notice. The MFA discussed whether
to inform the GOU after the fact, especially on the eve of
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Tarasyuk's visit to Bratislava
earlier this month. However, given the proximity of
Ukrainian elections, the GOS opted not to tell Tarasyuk and
to "wait and see" who would become FM in a new Ukrainian
government.

SMK WOULD JOIN SMER IN COALITION; IFFY ON HZDS
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3. (C) Berenyi also told us that on the domestic political
scene, SMK -- which acknowledges that it is the "girl in the
corner waiting to be asked to dance" when it comes to Slovak
politics -- would not refuse an offer to join a coalition
with parties other than the Communist Party (KSS),the
nationalist party SNS, and "probably HZDS." When asked about
SMK Chairman Bela Bugar's recent comments that Smer policies
"would ruin the country," Berenyi said that the remarks were
simply "political rhetoric" and that SMK would join a
Smer-led coalition if Fico had enough votes. Personally,
however, Berenyi said he predicts that Smer will get fewer
votes than the polls indicate, and SDKU more. COMMENT:
SMK's willingness to join Smer is tempered by the close
personal relationship between Bugar and Dzurinda, which was
very obvious to Ambassador on the PM's visit to Washington
earlier this month -- particularly during the high profile
gift-giving moment Dzurinda allowed Bugar to have in the oval
office. END COMMENT.

MINISTER OF CULTURE GETS THE BOOT
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4. (U) Minister of Culture Frantisek Toth, a former ANO
member who has recently founded a new political party "Hope,"
was recalled by the President at the request of Prime
Minister Dzurinda. Toth sent "thank you letters" to all of
Slovakia's teachers at a cost of SKK 700,000 (around USD
23,000),in a move many claimed was a blatant misuse of state
funds for an election campaign. Toth had been embattled in
recent months because of his efforts to sell a historic
theater building, and for his use of a new theater before its
official opening. Toth narrowly escaped a recall vote in
parliament on February 24. Toth will be replaced by former
Minister Rudolf Chmel until elections.

IRAQI CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS LEARN GOOD GOVERNANCE
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5. (SBU) The most recent group of Iraqi civil society
leaders to visit Bratislava for two weeks of training
sponsored by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and
Slovakia's Pontis Foundation visited parliament, participated
in training with NGOs and watchdog groups. The Iraqis told

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us that they consider the Slovaks to be credible role models
with valid and valuable lessons to share, because of
Slovakia's own transition from an autocratic state to a
viable democracy with a thriving civil society.


6. (C) The Iraqis were committed to their work building
Iraqi society, but were less enthusiastic about domestic
events back home. According to one Slovak trainer, this
group of Iraqi visitors was "more pessimistic" than previous
groups. At a reception hosted by the Ambassador March 20,
the civil society leaders said that things on the ground in
Baghdad are worse than portrayed in the media. They told us
that increasing crime and sectarian violence have driven many
of them to dismiss their employees early so they can travel
home before dark.

BURMESE PM IN EXILE VISITS BRATISLAVA
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7. (SBU) Burmese Prime Minister in Exile Sein Win and
representative for UN Affairs Thang Htun visited Bratislava
March 22-23 to consult with MFA State Secretary (Deputy
Foreign Minister) Magda Vasaryova regarding possible UNSC
action against the military government in Burma. Win said
that the Burmese government in exile is traveling to all UNSC
capitals in an effort to secure the 9 votes needed to bring
the issue before the Council as a "threat to international
peace and security." When asked about China's relationship
with the current regime, Win and Htun told Slovak opinion
leaders that China has sent signals that it is concerned
simply with regional stability, and that it would not "stick
up" for the current regime. In fact, they said that China
has been speaking "roughly" behind closed doors with the
current regime in Rangoon.

LOCAL BAHA'I COMMUNITY PRESSES GOS FOR ACTION IN IRAN
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8. (C) Local Baha'i leaders are planning to approach the
GOS to thank the government for its previous support of
Baha'i issues in the UN, and to express concern about -- and
possibly shore-up support against -- the increase in hostile
activity by the Ahmadinejad regime against the religion,
which claims 300,000 members in Iran. Local Baha'i are
distributing statements from the UN Special Rapporteur for
Freedom of Religion or Belief regarding Iran's clandestine
campaign to secretly register and monitor all Baha'i within
its border, which they are worried could be a prelude to
genocide. Baha'i officials will be asking European capitals
to consider diplomatic action to protect Iranian Baha'i.
VALLEE