MACEDONIA: SDSM PARTY CONGRESS SHOWCASES NEW

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000189 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: SDSM PARTY CONGRESS SHOWCASES NEW UNITY, BUT OLD INTRAMURAL TENSIONS LINGER SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) On February 24, Macedonia's biggest opposition party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM),held its 7th congress in Skopje under the slogan "Trust, Unity and Success." Although barely mentioned in the next day's papers, the congress showed the new and more polished face of a party whose image has been tarnished by in-fighting since its electoral defeat in July 2006. The congress was devoid of party intrigue, and highlighted SDSM,s new leader, Radmila Sekerinska, in a carefully scripted, self-confident demonstration of resolve. Although the congress showcased a party that appears to be unifying around her youthful dynamism, Sekerinska will not be able to consolidate her control over SDSM until her rivalry with former SDSM president and ex-Prime Minister Buckovski is trully resolved. Moreover, SDSM will not be fully Sekerinska's party as long as President Crvenkovski continues to wield influence over the party through his lieutenants in the SDSM leadership. End summary. SELF-FLAGELLATION ¶2. (SBU) The biggest opposition party in Parliament, eMacedonian SDSM, held its 7th congress on February 24 in Skopje. In a departure from SDSM's past party congresses, the congress began with presentations by six invited vocal critics of the party. The six critics -- affiliated with NGOs, the media, healthcare, and the business sector -- reflected Macedonia,s ethnic and religious diversity, with four eMacedonians, one Macedonian Muslim, and one eAlbanian represented. Each critic spoke openly about the party's shortcomings, including SDSM,s alleged "absence of a core ideology," "arrogance," "indecisiveness," "unfriendliness toward the media," and "dishonesty" in the ranks of the party leadership and rank and file. Despite the harshness of those messages, the six critics all received thunderous applause from the 600 or so SDSM delegates. Although fairly well attended by journalists, the event did not get front-page coverage the next day; the government-owned news service MIA failed to mention it at all. NEW LEADER, NEW MESSAGES ¶3. (SBU) Emerging from the crowd in a dramatic entrance, SDSM President Sekerinska delivered a speech that energized the delegates and echoed some of the themes addressed by the six independent critics. Confident, photogenic and well-prepared, Sekerinska stressed the need to address the party,s shortcomings while preserving it as the party of "peace, stability, tolerance, secularism and political dialogue." Sekerinska lamented the citizens, loss of trust in politicians, capacity to solve real problems, assigning part of the blame for that to her own party. Pledging an end to the "blame game," however, she said that her focus would be on solving problems, rather than just talking about them. In that light, Sekerinska mentioned that the current government had made a number of mistakes, but she also recognized the government,s accomplishments, which she said deserved the public's support. JABS AT PARTY RIVAL BUCKOVSKI ¶4. (SBU) Despite a generally tolerant atmosphere, including acceptance of dissenting views, Sekerinska did not miss the opportunity to indirectly and publicly jab at her party rival, former SDSM leader and ex-Prime Minister Buckovski, pointing out that those in the party who criticized SDSM today had contributed to the party,s negative image in the past. In addition, she apologized to ex-SDSM member Tito Petkovski, another rival of Buckovski's who left the party in November 2005 to form the New Social Democratic Party (NSDP), currently a junior coalition partner in the government. Sekerinska referred to Petkovski and others as "sincere supporters" who had been let down by the old SDSM, another indirect jab at Buckovski. She added that she wanted people to trust SDSM as a party "with a set of identifiable values." Buckovski, for his part, dropped several initiatives he had proposed that would have weakened the role of the party president, given Sekerinska's overwhelming support among the delegates. SKOPJE 00000189 002 OF 002 COMMENT ¶5. (SBU) The well-orchestrated SDSM congress showcased a party that appears to have overcome its post-election leadership crisis as it unifies around Sekerinska's youthful dynamism and optimism. The congress ran smoothly and decisions were passed unanimously. Post-congress discussions with senior SDSM leaders confirmed that the congress had been carefully planned to show a new SDSM that looks confidently at the future, yet is not afraid to confront its past. Despite the appearance of emerging party unity, however, Sekerinska,s jabs at Buckovski underscore that the rift between her and the former SDSM leader is not yet resolved: We believe SDSM has made some progress in overcoming its internal divisions, but that process will remain incomplete as long as Buckovski lurks in the wings as a potential challenger, and as long as Sekerinska remains partially in the shadow of President Crvenkovski, a former SDSM president, who continues to influence the party through his lieutenants in the SDSM leadership. WOHLERS