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.

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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