BERISHA LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT BALANCE IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000365

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE, AND EUR/SSA, NSC FOR BBRAUN,
USUN FOR DSCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR SSTEGER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: BERISHA LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT BALANCE IN
DEMOCRACTIZING KOSOVO'S ASSEMBLY

REF: PRISTINA 335

Sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In his first several weeks as president of
Kosovo's Assembly, Kole Berisha has made great progress in
making it more fiscally and procedurally democratic and less
autocratic. Berisha has taken public steps to distance
himself from the questionable fiscal practices and
domineering style of his predecessor, Nexhat Daci, meeting
frequently with caucus leaders, members of civil society, and
opening up the floor of plenary sessions to all who make
requests to speak. He invited a series of Assembly audits by
UNMIK's Auditor General. He has devoted more parliamentary
attention to minority-related legislation and has agreed to a
review of the Assembly's often contradictory rules of
procedure. His attention to dealing with the legacy of
Daci's tenure, however, has held him back from developing his
own leadership style. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Since taking office on March 10, new Assembly
president Kole Berisha has instituted an open door policy,
holding regular meetings with caucus leaders and heads of
committees, the seven-member Assembly presidency, and student
groups and civil society. Procedural reform is a priority on
his agenda, and according to David Payne, a parliamentary
advisor provided by the National Democratic Institute (NDI),
Berisha instituted an events calendar to regularize plenary
and committee sessions which were previously held frequently
with only a day's notice. In marked contrast to former
Assembly President Nexhat Daci's penchant for creatively
interpreting Assembly rules, Berisha has instituted
predictability of procedure. Berisha is also considering
instituting a "question time" for government ministers
modeled after the UK parliament. Opposition leaders Veton
Surroi and Hashim Thaci both praised his initial steps in
meetings with visiting Contact Group representatives
(reftel).


3. (SBU) Berisha takes fiscal reform of the Assembly very
seriously. Daci's decision to construct a "protocol complex"
in Germia (in Pristina's suburbs) at an estimated cost of
three million euros and without parliamentary approval,
elicited a sea of complaints led by Surroi's opposition
Reform Party Ora. Berisha invited the Auditor General, whose
team is made up of locals and internationals from Deloitte
and Touche, to audit not only the Germia project but all of
the Assembly's books. According to an USAID institutional
advisor, in two weeks of work the auditors have already
documented procurement irregularities, unaccounted for office
furniture (including a plasma television Daci evidently had
delivered to his ski chalet),and bills for personal items
such as cosmetic dentistry and clothing. A final report is
set to be completed in May; Berisha told COM he will make the
results public.


4. (SBU) In stark contrast to Daci's style, the self-effacing
Berisha has limited himself to a small office and is allowing
committees to use the marble-laden opulent space constructed
for Daci's private offices for their meetings. Berisha
allowed to COM that overseeing the transformation of this
space into a proper conference room with simultaneous
interpretation capabilities for the Assembly's multi-ethnic
membership was logistically time-consuming and would cost too
much money.


5. (SBU) At Prime Minister Agim Ceku's request, Berisha's
staff prioritized 26 pieces of standards-related legislation
which are set be heard by the Assembly in the next three
months. The first of these are laws on religious freedom,
media, use of languages, cultural heritage and intellectual
property rights.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: Berisha has made a good start on reforming
the Assembly thereby giving it and the other Kosovo
government institutions improved standing with a skeptical

PRISTINA 00000365 002 OF 002


Kosovo public used to credible rumors of corruption about its
politicians. He has a tendency, however, to become bogged
down in the details of procedural reformation. We will urge
him to focus on procedural changes that would facilitate the
passage of standards-related legislation. END COMMENT.


7. (SBU) Post clears this message in its entirety for release
to Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.
GOLDBERG