MACEDONIA: TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK --

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SKOPJE 001174

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SCE PFEUFFER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK --
ROUND II OF LEADERSHIP TALKS

REF: SKOPJE 1120 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: P/E CHIEF SHUBLER, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).

SUMMARY


1. (SBU) Leaders of Macedonia's four main parties (government
and opposition) met December 13 behind closed doors, with
U.S. and EU facilitation, in their second meeting to discuss
how to move forward on Macedonia's main Euro-Atlantic
integration reforms (reftel). Three of the four parties
reached consensus on moving forward on two agenda items,
including forming expert working groups for discussing a
draft parliamentary rulebook and constitutional changes
related to education. Two of the parties (SDSM and DPA) also
agreed to further high-level talks on the composition of the
Parliamentary Committee on Inter-ethnic Relations, a key
demand by the eAlbanian opposition DUI party. DUI leaders,
however, brought the process to a halt by refusing to move
forward on other issues until the Committee matter is
resolved.


2. (C) Although government coalition partners VMRO-DPMNE and
DPA did not go out of their way to be accommodating, DUI's
continued obstructionism will not lead to its goal of
entering the government, whether by bringing down the current
government and winning a place in a new coalition after snap
elections, or by being included, under pressure, in the
existing coalition by the current government. We will tell
DUI, and we will urge our EU colleagues to send the same
clear message, that it risks being left in the cold unless it
shifts course and begins playing the role of a constructive
opposition party. End Summary.

ROUND TWO OF LEADERSHIP TALKS ON REFORM AGENDA


3. (SBU) The leaders of Macedonia's four main political
parties met behind closed doors under U.S. and EU auspices in
the Parliament on December 13, following up on their November
27 leadership meeting to discuss how to move forward on
Macedonia's key Euro-Atlantic integration reforms (reftel).
EU Special Representative (EUSR) Fouere outlined the agenda,
to which the parties had contributed their top legislative or
policy priorities. The agenda included constitutional
amendments to allow for mandatory secondary school education
(VMRO-DPMNE proposal); reconstituting the parliamentary
committee on inter-ethnic relations (opposition eAlbanian
DUI); ensuring a broad consensus for a new parliamentary
rulebook (opposition SDSM); and passing a more liberal
religious freedom law (eAlbanian DPA).


4. (SBU) Fouere proposed that the parties agree to form
working groups to continue discussions on those issues on
which there was a general consensus. The Ambassador urged
the party leaders to focus on how to move ahead on the reform
agenda, and underscored the parties' ownership of the process
of advancing government-opposition dialogue.

GOVERNMENT PRESSES FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS


5. (SBU) Speaking for the governing VMRO-DPMNE, PM Gruevski
thanked the U.S. and EU for their role in the political
dialogue process and discussed constitutional amendments
related to education. Gruevski also urged a broad consensus
for adoption of a parliamentary rulebook that would impose
time limits on general floor debates. He argued that
Macedonia needed to pass 300-400 NATO/EU membership-related
laws over the next four years, and therefore needed to
improve its legislative efficiency.

INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE A DUI PRECONDITION FOR
FURTHER TALKS


6. (SBU) DUI president Ahmeti said his party did not oppose
improvements to education, but that the party first wanted to
resolve the issue of the makeup of the Parliamentary
Committee for Inter-ethnic Relations and its role in
determining which legislation requires a qualified majority
(Badinter) vote (reftel). The Committee issue had to be
resolved before there could be further dialogue on other
issues, he said. DUI added that the Committee was an
institution derived from the Ohrid Framework Agreement (FWA)

SKOPJE 00001174 002 OF 003


to ensure ethnic minorities have a voice in political
dialogue on important legislation. Since it was not
currently functioning, because DUI members had withdrawn to
protest its composition, it should be dismissed and then
re-elected in accordance with a consensus reached in the
context of the existing dialogue.

STRIVING FOR CONSENSUS ON RULEBOOK


7. (SBU) SDSM president Sekerinska said her party could in
principal support the constitutional amendments on education,
but she first wanted to know what Gruevski's plan would cost
taxpayers and how it could be implemented. Regarding the
parliamentary rulebook, she argued for a broad discussion of
the current draft to build a consensus, and then adoption of
a revised version at the end of the government's mandate,
which was common practice elsewhere. The efficiency of the
parliament could be boosted, she argued, by prioritizing the
legislative agenda. DUI VP Teuta Arifi said the rulebook
should ensure both greater parliamentary efficiency AND an
equal voice on key legislation for all ethnic groups, in
which case the government and DUI positions might be
reconciled.

WEAK STATE INSTITUTIONS?


8. (SBU) DPA leader Arben Xhaferi said the current dialogue
process underscored the inability of state institutions to
resolve key issues. He proposed a full review and evaluation
of progress in implementing the Ohrid Framework Agreement,
rather than addressing each of the issues on the agenda.
Gruevski continued to press for a revised rulebook now,
rather than at the end of his government's mandate, to
promote legislative efficiency. The EUSR proposed a more
detailed technical discussion of the constitutional changes
issue, perhaps in a working group setting.

NO OBJECTIONS TO MORE LIBERAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LAW


9. (SBU) Gruevski noted the importance of a liberal religious
freedom law for Macedonia's NATO and EU membership prospects,
but said Macedonia's main religious communities opposed a
more liberal bill. Nevertheless, the government was
redrafting the current bill and would resubmit it to
OSCE/ODIHR for review. Gruevski wanted to consult with the
parties on the draft legislation, and also would seek to work
with the religious communities to build consensus for it. No
party spoke against such a bill, but SDSM wanted to review
the text before it would support the bill.

TWO STEPS FORWARD....


10. (SBU) The EUSR and the Ambassador jointly proposed the
formation of technical or expert working groups to further
build consensus on the constitutional amendments and
parliamentary rulebook issues. In the meantime, they
suggested, the constitution of the Committee on Inter-ethnic
Relations could be discussed at a future leadership meeting,
either with or without the EU and U.S. present. There
appeared to be general consensus among the parties, except
for DUI, on that approach.

...ONE STEP BACK


11. (C) After a short break for consultations, Gruevski
returned to argue that the Committee on Inter-ethnic
Relations had been formed following a mathematical model for
apportioning seats on it, and that the matter therefore did
not need further discussion. On the other two matters,
however, he agreed to technical discussions in the
parliament, which he offered to host, but without EU or U.S.
attendance. VMRO-DPMNE's Vlado Popovski, a law professor,
gave a meandering legal analysis of the FWA, essentially
describing the Committee as irrelevant, since the laws
intended to be passed by a Badinter vote already were listed
in the FWA.


12. (C) DPA VP Thaci then attacked DUI for lacking sincerity
in the talks. He accused Ahmeti of wanting to use the
Inter-ethnic Committee and the Badinter principle to block
the government's work, although he said DPA could accept a
different composition of the Committee if the parties agreed

SKOPJE 00001174 003 OF 003


to that. DUI's Ahmeti insisted on resolving the Committee
issue before the other two issues could be addressed. The
meeting ended with the Ambassador intervening to stop an
acrimonious exchange between DUI and DPA, and with SDSM
proposing another dialogue meeting, this time hosted by the
President of Parliament or the Prime Minister. The parties
agreed to inform the IC representatives of their next steps.

COMMENT


13. (C) The main objective of our joint work with the EU on
this endeavor was to give DUI a venue for participating as an
opposition member in serious political debate on priority
legislative and policy matters. Although VMRO-DPMNE and DPA
did not go out of their way to be accommodating, DUI's
continued inflexibility reflects a stubborn refusal to take a
more constructive approach. That is a miscalculation, since
Gruevski has told us he is convinced he can work without
DUI's support or participation in the process. If DUI
chooses to follow the path of obstinate obstruction, there is
little more we can do but make it clear we do not support
them, and that the only viable option is one that puts them
in the role of a constructive opposition party. That is a
message we intend to take to Ahmeti, and to urge that our EU
colleagues also convey, in the days ahead.
MILOVANOVIC