Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ROME497
2006-02-17 15:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

MONTENEGRIN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT IN ROME

Tags:  PREL PGOV MW SR IT 
pdf how-to read a cable
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P 171530Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3682
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY 0318
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 1034
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 6535
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 1092
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000497 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV MW SR IT
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRIN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT IN ROME


Classified By: Classified by David D. Pearce, Political Minister Counse
lor, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000497

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV MW SR IT
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRIN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT IN ROME


Classified By: Classified by David D. Pearce, Political Minister Counse
lor, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. On February 16, President of the Montenegrin
Parliament Ranko Krivokapic visited Rome ostensibly for
personal reasons. He took the opportunity, however, to lobby
contacts in Italy's Center-Left opposition parties and the
Vatican to oppose a possible request by EU Envoy Miroslav
Lajcak to impose a requirement that a referendum on
independence must be approved by 55 percent of the voter
turnout. End summary.


2. (C) On February 16, Krivokapic traveled to Rome for
personal reasons. During the visit, however, he met
informally with contacts at the Holy See, Montenegrin
expatriates, and members of the Center-Left parties in Italy.
Krivokapic, a staunchly pro-independence and influential
politician, told poloff that the Montenegrin Government was
analyzing EU Envoy Lajcak's recent request that a Montenegrin
referendum on independence be approved by 55 percent of the
turnout. According to Krivokapic, the request was
undemocratic and unacceptable.


3. (C) According to Krivokapic, the Montenegrin Government
has complied with all of Lajcak's recommendations on election
monitoring, media non-interference by the ruling coalition,
and transparency in the deliberations leading up to the
announcement of the referendum. Krivokapic stated that the
Montenegrin Government was even prepared to accept a request
that independence needed to be approved by 40 percent of all
registered voters. A requirement for 55 percent of the
turnout, however, would mean a difference of several thousand
votes in what is expected to be a large turnut. He claimed
that denying victory to a majority of the voters, no matter
how small the margin, would lead to instability - the
opposite of what Lajcak intends to achieve by imposing a
qualified majority requirement.


4. (C) Krivokapic told poloff that the injustice of such a
request is so plainly obvious, that any EU leader presented
with the facts will be forced to agree. He said he intended
to present his case to as many EU politicians as possible in
the period before the Montenegrin Government makes its final
determination on the date of the referendum. Krivokapic
stated that the Montenegrin Government would prefer to come
to an agreement with the EU on the conditions and terms of
the referendum - without declaring a predetermined benchmark
for victory - and presenting the numerical results to the EU.
In this case, he believed it would be difficult for EU
members to deny victory to the majority.


5. (C) Comment. Although Krivokapic insisted he was on a
personal visit, it was anything but informal. He arrived in
Rome with an impressive entourage - a bodyguard, a secretary,
and two advisors - all of whom hovered nearby as he sipped
coffee at one of Rome's pricier hotel coffee shops.
Krivokapic believes that the EU has not actively followed
Lajcak's work. As a result, he has fallen under the undue
influence of EU Political Director Javier Solana, whom the
Montenegrins consider a historical foe of Montenegrin
independence. Until such time as the EU takes a more
directive line with Montenegro, Krivokapic will likely
increase his international visibility to lobby against the 55
percent qualified majority request.
SPOGLI