BOSNIA - QUINT AMBASSADORS URGE BOSNIAKS TO ENGAGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SARAJEVO 002556 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR(DICARLO),EUR/SCE(HOH/FOOKS/STINCHOMB); NSC FOR BRAUN; OSD FOR BEIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - QUINT AMBASSADORS URGE BOSNIAKS TO ENGAGE CONSTRUCTIVELY ON LAJCAK MEASURES REF: A. SARAJEVO 2537 ¶B. SARAJEVO 2236 Classified By: Ambassador Charles English. Reason 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Quint Ambassadors met separately with Sulejman Tihic, President of the Party for Democratic Action (SDA),and Haris Silajdzic, President of the Party for Bosnia (SBiH),to urge them to engage constructively in negotiations over the High Representative's proposed changes to the Parliamentary Assembly's (PA) rules of procedure. Quint Ambassador's stressed the importance of reaching a compromise with Serb and Croat political leaders that was consistent with the HighRep's proposal, but also that this required Bosniak leaders to negotiate in good faith. They could not simply wait for the HighRep to impose his proposal. Tihic and Silajdzic made clear that they would not concede on the substance of the HighRep's proposal, but suggested greater flexibility on the form and timing of a potential compromise. Both men warned that if the international community back down in the face of Dodik's threats, the HighRep's authority and the Bonn Powers would be permanently crippled. END SUMMARY Quint's Message to Tihic and Silajdzic -------------- ¶2. (C) At the request of HighRep Lajcak (Ref A),the Quint Ambassadors met separately with SDA President Tihic and SBiH President Silajdzic on November 24 and November 26 respectively. (Note: The Ambassador hosted the meeting with Tihic; the German Ambassador hosted the exchange with Silajdzic. End Note) Quint Ambassadors raised ongoing negotiations among political parties on implementation of the HighRep's proposed changes to the rules of procedure for the PA (Ref B). The Quint Ambassadors told both Tihic and Silajdzic that they welcomed the exchanges among the House of Representatives (HoR) Collegium (i.e., the three speakers) that had taken place thus far, but expressed concern that the House of Peoples (HoP) Collegium had not yet begun discussing how it would implement the HighRep's measure. Quint Ambassadors observed that the December 1 deadline for amending the PA rules of procedures was fast approaching. ¶3. (C) Quint Ambassadors underscored their support for the HighRep and his October 19 measures, noting that new rules of procedure for the PA had to be in line with the Constitution and eliminate the ability of Members of Parliament to block legislation by failing to attend sessions or participate in decision-making. Within that framework, political leaders had ample scope to determine the precise shape of the new rules of procedure, Quint Ambassadors emphasized, stressing that the key to a positive outcome was that all sides engage constructively. Quint Ambassadors noted that Serbs and Croats had tabled some proposals, which provided a basis for discussion. Quint Ambassadors understood from OHR that these proposals had fallen short of what was required, but urged Tihic and Silajdzic to present their own ideas rather than simply reject the proposals outright. Bosniaks needed to avoid the political perception that they, rather than the Serbs, were obstructing the political process, the Quint Ambassadors concluded. Tihic Replies: Flexible on Form, Not on Substance -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Tihic agreed that without dialogue and compromise, there would be no progress. He underscored his support for the HighRep's October 19 measures and expressed concern about the confrontational approach RS PM Dodik had taken since they were announced. Tihic warned the Quint Ambassadors that Dodik had essentially decided to challenge the authority of the HighRep and the international community in Bosnia. If Dodik were successful and the HighRep's measures were altered, the international community's authority would crumble, Tihic predicted. ¶5. (C) Tihic told the Quint Ambassador that he was prepared to support any proposal that included language designed to assuage Serb concerns about the new PA rules of procedure, suggesting for example, that he and his party would support delaying parliamentary sessions and votes, if Serb MPs were not present. However, the SDA would not support any proposal SARAJEVO 00002556 002 OF 002 that fell short of the objectives outlined by the HighRep, Tihic stressed, adding that the Serbs could not longer be allowed to paralyze state-level institutions by formal or informal boycotts. Tihic argued that if he and other political leaders conceded the substance of the HighRep's measures in response to "Dodik's blackmail," then Dodik would simply table another set of demands and manufacture a new crisis. Silajdzic Replies: We Support the HighRep -------------- ¶6. (C) Silajdzic responded by noting that the existing PA rules of procedure had been contrary to the Constitution for a long time. He claimed that his party, SBiH, had been trying to change this since January 2006, adding that one reason he had opposed the U.S.-brokered package of constitutional amendments was that they failed to do so. Silajdzic said he welcomed the HighRep's proposals because they eliminated the ability of MPs to block legislative business by failing to attend sessions; however, he added that the real break on Bosnia's progress towards Europe was entity voting. Siljadzic noted that the HighRep's measures do not change entity voting. They put an end to the process of veto by absence and so his party supports the measures. ¶7. (C) Silajdzic made clear that he would not support a compromise with Dodik that modified the substance of the HighRep's October 19 measures. Like Tihic, he warned that if the international community backed down in the face of Dodik's threats, neither the Bonn Powers nor the HighRep as an institution would survive. Silajdzic implied that Dodik's threat to withdraw from state institutions and/or go into opposition if the HighRep imposed the PA measure on December 1 might not deepen the crisis as much as many feared. Silajdzic did not rule out the possibility of allowing more time for the PA Collegiums to meet and seek agreement on new rules of procedure, but he placed responsibility for the current impasse squarely on Dodik and the Serbs. ENGLISH