BOSNIA: CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM REJECTED BY TWO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000937

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR D (SMITH),P (BAME),EUR (DICARLO),EUR/SCE
(ENGLISH, SAINZ, FOOKS),NSC FOR BRAUN, USNIC FOR WEBER,
GREGORIAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM REJECTED BY TWO
VOTES IN PARLIAMENT

REF: A. SARAJEVO 877 B. SARAJEVO 874

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS MCELHANEY. REASON: 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) On April 26, the constitutional reform package
failed by two votes to win approval in the BiH House of
Representatives. Although a majority voted in favor, the
measures did not gain the two-thirds needed to pass
constitutional amendments. The package's rejection was the
direct result of pre-election machinations by two parties:
Haris Silajdzic's Party for BiH (SBiH) and the new breakaway
Croat party, HDZ 1990. Working together and very likely
buying support through material inducements, the two parties
were able to add two additional votes to their ranks and
block the package.


2. (C) The package's multi-ethnic backers -- the leaders of
Bosnia and Herzegovina's largest political parties -- worked
cooperatively during the tense two-day session. Despite the
compromises offered, however, opponents remained intractable.
This was particularly true of the rejectionist HDZ 1990,
which scorned a late-night proposal that would have answered
their substantive objection.


3. (C) Backing up the Embassy's intensive lobbying efforts
late into the night of April 25 and all day on the 27th,
representatives of the international community were present
to underscore the importance of constitutional reform for
BiH's Euro-Atlantic future. European Union and European
Commission Ambassadors participated constructively in
corridor lobbying; High Rep Schwarz-Schilling made an
end-game intervention, also to no avail. When the major
Bosniak party (and constitutional reform backer) SDA saw its
ranks begin to break under the pressure of opposition forces,
and the Serb parties behind the reform threatened to bolt,
the reform measure's supporters felt they had no choice but
to call a vote and attempt to rally their troops. The gambit
failed, and the measure earned only 26 votes, two short of
the 28 votes needed for a 2/3 majority of the 42-member House.


4. (C) Parliament's inability to adopt constitutional
reform was in large part a product of pre-election
campaigning, already well advanced in the run up to October's
general elections. The parliament faced a tight deadline of
May 5 to pass the package in both the upper and lower houses
if the changes were to take effect in time for the elections.
That deadline will now elapse without the necessary
parliamentary approval. Both the Europeans and we are
stressing publicly our profound disappointment that this
extraordinary opportunity has been lost. Statements issued
after the parliamentary vote by the Ambassador, the EU
presidency, and the Office of the High Represenative have
been provided to EUR/SCE. Further Embassy analysis and
recommendations will follow.
MCELHANEY