BOSNIA CAMPAIGN 2006: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 SARAJEVO 002320 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA CAMPAIGN 2006: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS Classified By: Classified by DCM Judith Cefkin for reason 1.4(b) and (d ). ¶1. (U) This is the fifth in a planned series of cables covering themes relevant to the October 1, 2006 national elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: As Bosnians prepare to head to the polls this weekend, religious leaders have actively encouraged voter turnout, but also sought to manipulate the political process behind the scenes. Though they publicly assert political neutrality and refrain from active campaigning, many religious leaders have engaged in behind-the-scenes attempts to influence the elections. For example, national figures such as Reisu-l-Ulema Mustafa effendi Ceric and Cardinal Vinko Puljic sought to undermine Party of Democratic Action (SDA) presidential candidate Sulejman Tihic and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ),respectively. In local communities, it is often the opinions of the lower ranking religious leaders whom voters encounter in their day-to-day lives that carry more weight. These opinions, however, also clashed with their more senior clerics. As the pre-election period comes to end, however, it seems that the nationalist and religious rhetoric so prevalent just a month ago has dissipated, a point that was emphasized at a meeting the Ambassador held with the leaders of Bosnia's four faiths on September 28. After the meeting, Ambassador McElhaney and Bosnia's religious leaders issued a joint statement encouraging all Bosnians to vote. END SUMMARY. AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On September 28, Ambassador McElhaney met with the highest-level leaders of the Muslim, Catholic, Serb Orthodox and Jewish faiths in a discussion of the current situation in Bosnia and the election period to date. This is the first time all four leaders have met with the Ambassador since constitutional reform efforts in March caused a rift. The discussion centered on how politicians have handled their campaigns and whether rhetoric between political candidates is a sign of democratic progress as Bosnians learn to use dialogue instead of violence to air their differences. During the meeting there was also an open discussion of other issues facing the Bosnian religious community and the role of the United States in the promotion of tolerance and cooperation. Ambassador McElhaney, together with the religious leaders, issued a press statement calling on all Bosnian citizens to vote in large numbers. THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA -------------- - ¶4. (SBU) In a nation where ethnic identity is inextricably linked to religion, ninety-five percent of Bosnians characterize themselves as religious believers. Even those who do not actively practice define themselves by their religious affiliation and ethnic based group -- Bosniak/Muslim, Serb/Orthodox, Croat/Catholic and Jewish. The highest representatives of Bosnia's four faiths meet at an Inter-Religious Council, which aims to promote tolerance and faith. Yet these leaders often clash as they try to advocate for their own constituencies. Religious leaders often find themselves at the center of political controversies because citizens who distrust their political leaders turn to religious leaders for guidance. Many religious leaders, despite publicly professing tolerance, promote religious and nationalistic animosities, especially in Bosnia's rural areas where they have their greatest influence. THE ROLE OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The head of the Islamic Community, or Grand Mufti, holds the title of Reis and is the highest religious authority for all Muslims in the nation. This position, currently held by Reisu-l-Ulema Mustafa effendi Ceric, changes every seven years following elections within the Islamic Community. Eight Muftis who directly report to the Reis, represent the major regional areas of Banja Luka, Bihac, Gorazde, Mostar, Sarajevo, Travnik, Tuzla and Zenica. Imams working within a specific region fall under the direction of the Mufti for his region. In rural areas of the Federation, including areas around Travnik and Zenica, the fundamentalist Wahhabi movement has separated itself from traditional Bosnian Islam. Many believers argue that Reis Ceric has not done enough to distance the Islamic Community from this movement by taking a clear stand against it. They criticize the Reis for offering implicit support by giving interviews to Wahhabi based media. SARAJEVO 00002320 002 OF 004 ¶6. (C) Although the Islamic Community's decision making body (Rijaset) issued a directive prohibiting endorsements of political parties or candidates, individual Muslim leaders, and especially Reis Ceric, have been actively involved in the political fray. Reis Ceric's pre-election activities offered not-so-subtle support for Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina (SBiH) leader Haris Silajdzic. In the past few months, Reis Ceric has been quoted almost daily in Dnevni Avaz, a leading Bosniak Daily known to be very supportive of Silajdzic. Reis Ceric has also been seen with Silajdzic at several important Islamic events, including the eleventh-year commemoration of the Srebrenica Massacre on July 11 and at another high-profile event in a downtown Sarajevo mosque where Reis Ceric allegedly pulled Silajdzic aside and encouraged his opposition to constitutional reform. Allegedly, at this meeting, Reis Ceric gave Silajdzic the moral impetus to continue on his path towards drafting a new Bosnian constitution so that "Bosniaks will remember and praise (him) as they do Alija Izetbegovic." ¶7. (C) Ceric's public statements, however, have maintained an objective tone. At a pre-Ramadan meeting with imams in Zenica, Reis Ceric reminded his colleagues about the Rijaset decision not to promote any political party or candidate, but did encourage all Muslims to vote since it is their religious obligation. At the same time, Reis Ceric presented a list of ten items the Islamic Community expects from the forthcoming elections. First on the list was the endorsement of constitutional reform that adheres to the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) resolution, a document for which Silajdzic lobbied heavily. When the Ambassador questioned him about the list of priorities, Ceric said he endorsed the PACE resolution as a "middle ground," and denied supporting Silajdzic. In late-July, the Reis also commented to over 5000 Bosniaks at the opening of a reconstructed mosque in Glamoc that there is a great rift among Bosniak politicians. The Reis stated that Bosniak politicians in decision making positions "either have no ideals or ideals that reach no further than their own interests" and urged them not to sell Bosniak honor for their own interests. These remarks, likely aimed at current Bosnian President Tihic and other top SDA officials, sparked heavy criticism from media outlets happy to remind readers of the Rijaset decision not to discuss politics in religious sermons. THE ROLE OF THE SERB ORTHODOX CHURCH -------------- ¶8. (C) The highest position in the Bosnian Serb Orthodox Church is currently held by Metropolitan Nikolaj. Not surprisingly, the Serb Orthodox Church maintains its greatest influence in the Republika Srpska (RS). Although the Metropolitan sits at the top of Bosnia's Serb Orthodox religious hierarchy, his bishops often wield more influence over the Orthodox flock. The three most influential bishops have their seats in Trebinje, Bijeljina and Banja Luka. Vladika Grigorije of Trebinje, known as a rising star, may be the single most influential player in Bosnia's Serb Orthodox Church. Vladika Kacavenda of Bijeljina is notorious for his support of Radovan Karadzic and ultra-nationalistic behavior. Grigorije, Kacavenda and Vladika Jefrem of Banja Luka are the true political force in the Serb Orthodox Church in Bosnia. ¶9. (C) The Serb Orthodox Church has maintained a low-profile during the pre-election period, but like other religious groups has been active in more subtle ways. Prior to the elections, Bosnian Serb Orthodox Bishops agreed that they would not publicly support any specific party or politician. The Church and its leaders have since avoided overt statements or actions of political support. Traditionally, the Serb Orthodox Church has supported the ultra-nationalist Serb Democratic Party (SDS),but recent events suggest that ties between the two are weakening. In a private conversation with us, the extremely influential Vladika Grigorije told us he supports the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) and its leader RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. Grigorije's influence not only in his own diocese, but also within all of the Republika Srpska, is so strong that even a subtle hint at support is likely to influence voter opinions. ¶10. (C) Bijeljina Bishop Vladika Kacavenda often makes attempts to stir-up antagonisms between Serbs and Bosniak returnees in the RS, including holding ceremonies in churches built illegally on Bosniak property. These activities, though nominally apolitical, are potent symbols for nationalists and help nationalistic politicians mobilize their base. Hard-line nationalists are not the only politicians seeking Kacavenda's blessing, however. It is SARAJEVO 00002320 003 OF 004 widely rumored that Dodik recently visited him to ask for his political support. Kacavenda allegedly agreed in exchange for assistance in the building of a Serb Orthodox Church. THE ROLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The Bosnian Catholic Church's leadership consists of a Bishop's Conference of four main leaders. Cardinal Vinko Puljic, seated in Sarajevo, is the highest ranking member of the conference and is regarded as the unofficial head of the Bosnian Catholic Church. Although the Cardinal has the power to ordain priests, the Bishop's Conference is the main Catholic administrative body and consists of the Banja Luka Bishropic, Vrhbosna (Sarajevo) Bishropic, Mostar Bishropic and an auxiliary Bishopric also in Sarajevo. Each Bishop is independent and reports directly to the Vatican (not the Cardinal),but also works within the joint body of the conference. The Catholic Church also includes the Franciscan Order, mainly present near Sarajevo and in Herzegovina, who report to the Bishops but have independence with regard to education of priests and management of their own parishes. The Franciscans have two main seats representing Herzegovina from Mostar and Bosnia from Sarajevo. Traditionally, the Franciscans have been perceived as pro-Bosnian (i.e. supportive of Bosnia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and opposed to the creation of a third Croat entity). Since the constitutional reform debate last spring, the Franciscans have worked more closely with the overtly nationalist Cardinal Puljic. Members of the Catholic Church told us that the Church perceives itself as the western-minded bridge between Bosnia's Eastern Orthodox Serbs and Muslim Bosniaks. ¶12. (SBU) The Catholic Church has been very active in the pre-election period, managing its own get-out-the vote campaign. This initiative is largely in response to fears stemming from recent attempts at constitutional reform that Croats believed would have seriously limited their protections as an ethnic minority. On June 9, the Catholic Bishops Conference issued a pastoral letter to all members of the church highlighting the importance of the forthcoming October elections and encouraging Catholic believers to vote. Specifically, the letter urged Catholics to take the elections seriously and vote in large numbers, especially in light of the "bitter memories" of the recent attempts at constitutional reform and because "abstinence from voting means letting others determine our destiny." Catholic leaders also appealed to Croat political parties to form coalitions, especially at the state level "so as not to waste even one Croat vote." On July 2, this letter was read in every Bosnian Catholic Church in lieu of a traditional Sunday sermon. ¶13. (C) The Catholic Church has not, however, presented a similarly unified platform with regard to the two main Croat political parties. In public statements, the Catholic Church appears split between the Bishop's Conference support of ultra-nationalist, breakaway party Croatian Democratic Union-1990 (HDZ-1990) led by Bozo Ljubic, while the Franciscans and other rural priests still favor the traditional and well-established favorite, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and its leader Ivo Miro Jovic. In a meeting with Sarajevo's Vicar Mato Zovkic, he indicated to us that Bosnia's Catholic Bishops decided together to lend support to HDZ-1990 over HDZ exclusively because the latter approved the U.S. brokered constitutional reform efforts. According to Zovkic, the Bosnian Catholic Church will never support any party or candidate who supports constitutional reform. HDZ-1990, which opposed the March constitutional reform package, is seen as better able to protect the national interests of Bosnia's small Croat minority, Zovkic told us. (Zovkic further explained that the Catholic Church in Bosnia believes that the U.S. is trying to compensate for its wars against Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq by catering to Bosniaks in an effort to prove our foreign policies are pro-Muslim.) Immediately prior to their party convention on September 2, Cardinal Puljic issued a letter of goodwill to HDZ-1990. This gesture, seen as a clear political declaration of support for HDZ-1990, was boosted by the backing of Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, and was all that HDZ-1990 needed to become a true contender in the Croat race. The Cardinal later stated that he had sent letters of goodwill to all Croat-based parties and that "as a pastor of all Catholic believers (he) does not favor any political party because doing so would alienate other believers in his pastoral care." Although HDZ candidates have played down the importance of this letter in meetings with us, it is clear that at least initially, the Bishop's Conference lent their support to HDZ-1990. SARAJEVO 00002320 004 OF 004 THE ROLE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY -------------- ¶14. (SBU) The Jewish community plays a limited but important role in the Bosnian interfaith dialogue. This small community of approximately 1000 believers maintains a special place in Bosnian society because of its long history as mediator and honest broker between the three other constituent religions. Jakob Finci, President of the Bosnian Jewish Community, maintains a balanced and constructive role in the inter-faith dialogue but has not taken an active role in the pre-election period except to encourage citizens to vote. COMMENT -------------- ¶15. (C) COMMENT: Although political activism among Bosnia's religious leaders seems to have decreased in these last few days before the election, their summertime campaigning will likely play an important roll in Sunday's election results. At the September 28 meeting with Ambassador McElhaney, Bosnia's religious leaders emphasized interfaith rather than political messages. This weekend's 48-hour period of campaign silence for politicians, however, gives religious leaders a perfect last-minute opportunity at Friday, Saturday and Sunday services to encourage their own believers to vote and even to vote a certain way. In rural regions where religion plays a greater role in everyday life, perceived support by religious leaders whether for SBiH, HDZ-1990 or SNSD, will certainly have an impact on votes. Because the Bosnian people have little, if any, faith in their political leaders, they look to their religious leaders for political guidance and often follow it. One religious leader summarized the situation to us by saying that in Bosnia "it is impossible to separate religious leaders from politics because those leaders feel the need to voice the concerns of the people - like a shepherdly protection of one's own community, but immune from the disapproval of the U.S. or other political actors." If this is true, Bosnians who vote "their consciences" may simply be acting on the explicit or implicit direction they receive from their imams and priests. MCELHANEY