C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 001235

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR (DICARLO), D (SMITH), P (BAME), EUR/SCE
(ENGLISH, SAINZ, FOOKS), EUR/ACE (VISOCAN, LONGI), S/CT
(BLACK), S/WCI (HODGKINSON), INR, THE HAGUE (JOHNSON), NSC
FOR BRAUN, VIENNA FOR LEGATT (DIETDERICH), OSD FOR FLORY,
USDOJ FOR CRIMINAL DIVISION - ICITAP (DELCORE)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2015
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL PTER KCRM KJUS BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: POLICE REFORM STATE OF PLAY

REF: SARAJEVO 1148

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS MCELHANEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (D)



1. (C) SUMMARY. The Police Reform Directorate (PRD) held
its 12th and 13th meetings on May 24 and 31 with the
Republika Srpska (RS) representative (RS police director
Smajlovic) in attendance solely as an observer. RS PM Dodik
revoked full RS participation in the PRD, in part because of
its May 3 decision (by a vote of 8-1-1 not consensus) to
create a two-level police structure that excludes the
entities and cantons from operational police work. Dodik
also wants the police budgets to pass through the entities
and refuses to accept any PRD decision made without the
acquiescence of the RS. On May 31, the PRD reviewed in some
detail the two-level model and with minor changes will likely
approve this model (without the Serbs) at the next PRD
session June 14. End Summary.


2. (C) May 31 marked the first time since police reform
talks resumed in January 2006 that details of an actual model
for a new police structure were discussed. The Bosniak and
Croat representatives agreed on a structure consisting of two
levels - state and local. This model would place the BiH
Minister of Security, as policy maker, at the top and a
police director with operational responsibilities at the next
level. At the third tier would be the state police, border
service, and a director of local police. At the bottom would
be the local police districts (yet to be defined
geographically). The EC appears ready to cede to Dodik's
demand on this issue -- no cross-entity police districts.


3. (C) COMMENT. There has been some debate among the
European Union Police Mission (EUPM), the European Commission
(EC), and the Office of High Representative (OHR) on whether
to continue the PRD process in the absence of full
participation by the RS representative. Last week, EUPM
Commissioner Coppola advocated postponing the PRD until after
national elections in October, convinced that RS
obstructionism was part of pre-election grandstanding.
Coppola changed his position after discussions with EC
Ambassador Humphreys and Bosniak and Croat members of PRD who
wanted the process to continue. Coppola is right to question
the value of a restructuring plan that cannot be approved by
the RS National Assembly. Embassy will continue to work with
the Bosnians and international cmmunity to move the reform
process along. We wil also continue raising the issue with
Dodik. Muh depends on the EU's message regarding the linkbetween police reform and BiH's SAA negotiations. It is
unclear whether and/or when the EC will stp SAA negotiations
if the PRD continues without Bosnian Serb participation,
though High Rep
Schwarz-Schilling expressed his own view to the Ambassador,
telling him privately that he thought the EC would be
unwilling to discontinue SAA negotiations altogether. The
closer we get to elections, the more difficult it will be to
reach an agreement. End Comment.
MCELHANEY