MACEDONIA'S SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT NOMINATED AS

UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000038

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SCE
STATE PLS PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2015
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA'S SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT NOMINATED AS
NEXT AMBASSADOR TO WASHINGTON


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

SUMMARY


1. (SBU) The GOM has nominated Speaker of Parliament Ljupco
Jordanovski as Macedonia's next ambassador to the United
States. A long-time parliamentarian, Jordanovski is
meticulous, hard-working, and a consensus builder. He is
widely-respected as an administrator and has presided over an
ambitious legislative agenda. Jordanovski's parliamentary
experience and consensus-building skills will serve him well
as he works to make Macedonia's case in the U.S. for NATO
membership, and tackles the knotty name dispute with Greece
at the UN. End Summary.

PARLIAMENTARIAN AND SEISMOLOGIST


2. (SBU/NF) Confirming local media reports, MFA Chief of
Cabinet Santa Argirova told us January 12 that the GOM has
nominated Speaker of Parliament Ljupco Jordanovski to serve
as the next Ambassador to the U.S. If he receives agrement,
Jordanovski will replace Nikola Dimitrov, who is due to
depart his post in mid-March, 2006.


3. (U) Elected to Parliament on the ruling-party SDSM (Social
Democrats) ticket in 2002, Jordanovski has served as
president of parliament since November 2003. Following the
death of President Trajkovski in February 2004, Jordanovski
served as acting president until the election and swearing-in
of President Crvenkovski that May.


4. (U) Jordanovski is a long-time member of the ruling SDSM,
and is a member of its executive board. Prior to his
election to the Parliament, he directed the Seismological
Institute in Skopje. A trained civil engineer, he earned his
PhD from the University of Southern California in 1985 and
has conducted seismological studies in the United Kingdom,
Mexico and Iran. In 1991, he spent three months as a
visiting professor at USC's Department of Civil Engineering.


METICULOUS, HARD-WORKING, CONSENSUS-BUILDER


5. (SBU) Punctual, meticulous, and a workhorse, Jordanovski
is widely-respected as an able administrator with a deep
interest in organizational matters and in using information
technology to improve the operation of the parliament.
During his tenure, the parliament has passed all of the
legislative requirements of the 2001 Framework Agreement. A
consensus builder, Jordanovski played a key role in the
passage in 2004 of crucial decentralization legislation that
helped defuse ethnic tensions and avoid a split in the ruling
coalition. His deft handling of that situation earned him a
reputation as a pragmatic, no-nonsense lawmaker.


6. (SBU) Generally modest in demeanor, Jordanovski boasted
last year that the parliament under his leadership had passed
a record number (for Macedonia) of laws. Jordanovski has
worked closely with our USAID mission and its implementing
partners to professionalize the parliamentary staff and to
make the parliament more accessible to citizens. He began
the practice of televising sessions of parliament and hosted
in May 2005 an "Open Days of Parliament" to give citizens,
for the first time ever, the chance to tour and see the
parliament at work.

MODEST LIFESTYLE, DRY SENSE OF HUMOR


7. (U) Jordanovski was born in Stip, eastern Macedonia, on
February 13, 1953. He is married and has 3 children. His
wife works for the Ministry of Environment. In addition to
his studies at the University of Southern California,
Jordanovski received a masters degree in electrical
engineering from the University of Zagreb. He speaks English
well, as does his wife, and understands some Russian. A
smoker and moderate drinker (beer is his beverage of choice),
he enjoys fishing as a hobby and regularly attends opera,
ballet, and symphony concerts. Unlike many Macedonian

SKOPJE 00000038 002 OF 002


political leaders, Jordanovski leads a modest lifestyle. He
is unassuming and possesses a dry sense of humor -- he once
started the practice of playing MPs' favorite musical tunes
during parliamentary sessions to celebrate their birthdays, a
practice that was widely-lampooned and eventually
discontinued.

IMPACT OF JORDANOVSKI'S DEPARTURE ON REFORM AGENDA LIKELY TO
BE MINIMAL


8. (SBU) Jordanovski's departure from parliament is not
expected to result in significant delays in passing
legislation related to Macedonia's EU and NATO membership
reform agenda, although it may be a challenge to replace his
consensus-building skills. Upon his resignation as speaker,
the SDSM-led coalition's comfortable majority will allow it
to elect a successor who will concentrate on getting the
reform agenda passed before the upcoming parliamentary
elections in summer 2006. Media speculation centers around
SDSM Secretary General Nikola Kjurkciev or SDSM Parliamentary
Whip Jani Makraduli as possible successors. Both candidates
are loyal to PM Buckovski and can be expected to support the
government's legislative agenda.

COMMENT


9. (SBU) Jordanovski is an excellent successor to Dimitrov
who, despite his youth and affiliation with opposition
VMRO-DPMNE party, has performed credibly by all accounts.
Jordanovski's experience in dealing with numerous foreign
parliamentary and diplomatic delegations, as well as his
consensus-building approach, will serve him well as he works
with USG counterparts and the U.S. Congress to make
Macedonia's case for NATO accession. It will also come in
handy as he works to cut through the Gordian knot of the name
dispute with Greece in ongoing talks under UN auspices in New
York. If the current coalition loses the 2006 elections,
however, Jordanovski's close SDSM ties could considerably
shorten his tenure in Macedonia's most important diplomatic
posting.
MILOVANOVIC