KOSOVO'S SOUTHERN SERBS INCREASINGLY RESISTANT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000464

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017
TAGS: KCRM KDEM PGOV PINR PREL YI UNMIK EAID PHUM
SUBJECT: KOSOVO'S SOUTHERN SERBS INCREASINGLY RESISTANT TO
INTERACTION, ENGAGEMENT

REF: PRISTINA 428

Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. During a series of meetings in the southern
enclaves in mid-to-late May, Kosovo Serbs continued to
exhibit a strong degree of denial about the imminence of a
status decision, expressing firm belief in Russia's ability
to halt or at least delay independence. Serbs in the future
Serb-majority municipalities of Partes and Ranilug expressed
conflicted but increasingly adamant views about what
decentralization would mean for them, with one normally
cooperative local leader affirming that Serbs would block the
formation of new municipalities if it is linked to
independence. Though these interlocutors were highly
skeptical about the new Serbian Ministry for Kosovo, and more
focused on concrete needs of their communities for youth
facilities and increased communication links, their fear of
openly defying Belgrade's dictates was palpable. The
impression of monolithic rejection of international and
Kosovar Albanian outreach, engendered by Belgrade and its
administrative arm the Coordination Center for Kosovo (CCK),
was strengthened during the recent visit of USAID Assistant
Administrator Douglas Menarchik, who was treated to the same
kind of polite but resolute rejection of any assistance tied
to an independence outcome by local Serbs. END SUMMARY.

Partes leader says Serbs will block the formation of a
municipality


2. (C) On May 14 USOP visited several southern Kosovo Serb
enclaves and met local Serb leaders from Partes, Silovo,
Ranilug and Lipljan. Vesna Jovanovic, a Kosovo Serb MP
currently boycotting the Kosovo Assembly along with fellow
members of the Serbian List for Kosovo and Metohija (SLKM) --
but nevertheless normally a cooperative and engaging Serb
leader who has worked productively with USOP and US KFOR --
told us that the international community should not expect
Kosovo Serbs to participate in the implementation of the
Ahtisaari plan, if its passage is linked to any kind of
independence for Kosovo. Jovanovic agreed that Partes, which
urgently needs basic infrastructure development and
facilities for youth, could benefit greatly from the
decentralization proposal that would transform it into a new
Serb-majority municipality. However, she repeated that
Partes Serbs will block the establishment of a municipality
there if Kosovo becomes independent. She added that ordinary
Kosovo Serbs in her community have placed their faith in
Russia's ability to halt the movement toward independence.

3. (C) In a comment that echoed others we have heard from
moderate Serb leaders recently, Jovanovic lamented that Serbs
who engage with the international community in an attempt to
improve the situation in their communities are losing
credibility among their constituents. She said that regular
Serbs are turning against them, and some have even accused
her of "working for (Kosovo Prime Minister) Ceku." She
acknowledged that this increasingly hard Serb line came
despite some improvements on the ground, but was adamant that
this position would not be changed. She repeated the same
insistent mantra to visiting USAID Assistant Administrator
Douglas Menarchik during his meeting with Partes residents on
June 9, the first time USAID Pristina personnel had ever
heard this kind of rejectionism from the usually amiable
Jovanovic.

Serbs in Ranilug eager to have their own municipality


4. (C) In a conversation that contained many of the same
themes, attorney and former Kosovo MP Ljiljana Kenic of the
Serb-majority enclave of Ranilug (eastern Kosovo) shared
similarly conflicted views of decentralization. She
maintained that her community looks forward to becoming a new
municipality, and hopes their new legal status will lead to
budget inflows from both Pristina and Belgrade. However, she
pointed out that peer pressure to conform to the general Serb

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policy of non-cooperation with Pristina remains strong.
Kenic said she personally is considering seeking work as a
judge for the PISG, but said that the enormous salary cut
(from 800 euros to 200 euros per month) was prohibitive,
combined with negative pressure she would be under from her
community if she were to make such a move. Kenic also
mentioned that she would consider running for the Kosovo
Assembly again, but only with clear support from fellow Serbs
and the Orthodox Church, adding that neither will be
forthcoming if Kosovo becomes independent. Kenic, who has
two young daughters, said she has no plans to leave Kosovo
unless her family is threatened.


5. (C) Kenic admitted that lack of Serb participation in
development of Kosovo's existing constitutional framework
hurt her community, and said she feared that the same
negative consequences if Serbs do not participate fully in
the drafting of the new constitution. However, she declined
the proposal that she herself participate, saying that
condemnation from the Serb community would be too strong.
(Note: Efforts continue by USOP and the International
Civilian Office to quietly include Kosovo Serbs in the
constitution drafting exercise; so far, most have said no to
any public appearance together with the rest of the
constitutional working group, but a few say they will comment
on whatever proposals emerge.)

Serbs do not expect much from the New Serbian Ministry for
Kosovo


6. (C) None of the Serbs we spoke to had high hopes, at
least in terms of increased funding or attention, for the
newly created Serbian Government Ministry for Kosovo. Former
Kosovo MP Ljubomir Stanojkovic, from the Serb enclave of
Silovo in Gnjilan municipality, told us that he hoped the
Ministry would at least be better resourced and have stricter
financial controls than Belgrade's Coordination Center for
Kosovo and Metohija (CCK). (Note: The Kosovo Ministry will
subsume the CCK structure, though the CCK will apparently
remain intact.) Pointing out fresh construction in Silovo,
he said Serbs there will stay regardless of what Belgrade
tells them to do "unless there is another March 17"
(referring to anti-Serb riots in March 2004).


7. (C) COMMENT: These contacts and comments are anecdotal,
but they mirror what we have seen at every level of Serb
engagement in Kosovo: a hardening attitude, based on pure
rejectionism from Belgrade and an increasing conviction that
the Security Council process will lead to stalemate. As we
have noted earlier (reftel),the wall of obstruction that is
being built brick by brick will be difficult to dismantle, at
least immediately, and will put an additional burden on the
incoming International Civilian Office to gain Serb buy-in at
even the most basic level. We believe this puts a premium on
continuous discussion and assistance -- where it is accepted
-- to such Serb communities, particularly in the south, and
we are planning and budgeting for a variety of small
infrastructure and other supportive activities with FY07
money and beyond. We will encourage our ICO and donor
colleagues to do the same. End Comment.
KAIDANOW