KOSOVO: DISCIPLINED ASSEMBLY SUPPORTS AHTISAARI

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000200

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, AND EUR/SCE, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR
DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: DISCIPLINED ASSEMBLY SUPPORTS AHTISAARI
PROPOSAL, UNITY TEAM

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In contrast to its February 9 marathon
session that ended in only half-hearted support for the
Ahtisaari proposal and the work of the Kosovo negotiating
team (the "Unity Team"),the Assembly on March 14 warmly
received the report of three Unity Team members on the last
"elephant round" of negotiations in Vienna on March 10. The
session was disciplined and positive, a welcome demonstration
of what the Assembly is capable of as a decision on Kosovo's
final status approaches. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Three members of the Kosovo "Unity Team" -- President
Fatmir Sejdiu, Prime Minister Agim Ceku and main opposition
leader Hashim Thaci -- went before a special session of the
Kosovo Assembly on March 14 to report on the final "elephant
round" of talks in Vienna on March 10. The session was held
the same day President Ahtisaari presented his report to the
UN. LDK presidency member Sabri Hamiti chaired the session
in Speaker Kole Berisha's absence. President Sejdiu spoke
first, and said the ball is now in the UN Security Council's
court. He called the Ahtisaari proposal a "painful
compromise" necessary to pave Kosovo's way to independence.
He stressed that there would be no formal connections with
Serbia, but that minorities, particularly Serbs, would be
given strong guarantees. He expressed his determination to
implement the agreement and said it would be reflected in
Kosovo's new constitution.


3. (U) PM Ceku focused on his government's "successes" in
laying the foundation for the status resolution. He also
thanked the opposition and Kosovo society for showing unity
during the process, and said the "reasonable compromises"
that were made would result in a functional state within
existing borders. He said he expected the UNSC to replace
resolution 1244, support the Ahtisaari proposal, and mandate
a future international presence for Kosovo.


4. (U) Opposition leader Thaci focused on the negotiations,
saying that Kosovars welcomed the status proposal along with
the international community, that he hoped the Russians would
"remain on board," and that the U.S. was "clear on the future
of Kosovo." Calling on citizens to maintain unity, Thaci
emphasized that the proposal was the basis, not the limit, of
Kosovo's future.


5. (U) Caucus leaders' comments followed, each in turn
expressing support for the Unity Team. Alliance for the
Future of Kosovo (AAK) caucus leader Gjylnaze Syla thanked
Kosovo's friends for helping bring Kosovo into the family of
the international community. Democratic Party of Kosovo
(PDK) caucus leader Jakup Krasniqi said PDK supports the
process and that the "painful compromise" is in Kosovo's best
interests. There were the some critical voices, including
People's Movement of Kosovo (LPK) leader (and E.O.-listee)
Emrush Xhemajli, Democratic League of Dardania (LDD) caucus
leader Ramadan Kelmendi, and PDK gadfly Xhevat Bislimi, who
criticized provisions of the package and the Unity Team for
not giving it more of an airing with the Kosovo public.
However, even these voices were less harsh than usual.


7. (SBU) COMMENT: This special session requested by the
Unity Team demonstrated that Assembly leaders have it in them
to run a well-organized show of support for the Ahtisaari
package. That is good, because in the coming weeks the
Assembly will be called upon to maintain this positive
drumbeat as the UNSC begins the difficult work of getting
agreement on the package. END COMMENT.


8. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina clears this cable in its
entirety for release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.
KAIDANOW