BOSNIA - TESLIC MAYOR FIGHTS OFF SDS CHALLENGE

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 001165 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR (DICARLO),D (SMITH),P (BAME),EUR/SCE (ENGLISH, SAINZ, FOOKS),NSC FOR BRAUN, USNIC FOR WEBER, GREGORIAN, OSD FOR FLORY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - TESLIC MAYOR FIGHTS OFF SDS CHALLENGE ¶1. (SBU) Teslic Mayor Rade Pavlovic retained office May 21 by securing over 60 percent of the vote in a recall election prompted by a nationalist/center-right coalition led by the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) and Serb Radical Party - Dr. Vojislav Seselj. Pavlovic, who heads a multi-ethnic, center-left coalition that includes his own Socialist Party (SP),the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the Party for BiH (SBiH),the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the New Croat Initiative (NHI),won almost 1700 more votes in the recall election than he received in the 2004 general election, in spite of lower turnout. ¶2. (SBU) Pavlovic had received strong support in his fight to defeat the recall from Republika Srpska (RS) Premier Milorad Dodik, who is simultaneously the leader of SNSD. In a visit to Teslic just days before the vote, Dodik held a joint press availability with Pavlovic in which he decried the organizers of the recall, saying they were the same persons who were responsible for the closure of Teslic's largest factories. ¶3. (SBU) Since the recall attempt failed, sources in Teslic consider it likely that the municipal assembly that sought the vote will be disbanded, and that special assembly elections will be held in conjunction with the Bosnian general elections in October 2006. ¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: The attempt to recall Pavlovic was the result both of defections from his own Socialist Party and an attempt by the SDS in Teslic to capitalize on them. Pavlovic's victory is good news both for center-left parties like the Socialists and SNSD, but also for the institution of directly-elected mayors in BiH. The biggest loser in the May 21 recall election was SDS Vice President Dusan Stojicic, the leader of SDS Teslic. Such a resounding defeat is likely to hamper his designs on an even higher-profile role within SDS. END COMMENT. MCELHANEY