BOSNIA: POLICE REFORM STATE OF PLAY

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