MACEDONIA: PM GRUEVSKI BRIEFS NATO AND EU HEADS OF

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000876 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE (MCCLUNG) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: PM GRUEVSKI BRIEFS NATO AND EU HEADS OF MISSION ON GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES ¶1. (U) The following is a summary of the main points Prime Minister Gruevski made at a meeting with the diplomatic corps on the evening of November 1: ¶2. (U) Dialogue with opposition: two recent meetings with SDSM, and one with DUI, have nearly finalized agreement on the Parliamentary rulebook. The main remaining points of contention are a proposed limitation on the length of speeches in Parliament and authorization for presidents of Parliamentary Commissions to speak in their own languages (i.e. the use of Albanian language). ¶3. (U) Law on Public Prosecutor: the government wants to require prosecutors whose terms expire to re-compete in elections for the posts; SDSM wants them to apply for a new term. ¶4. (SBU) May 29 agreement working groups: DUI is willfully misinterpreting Amendment 5 to the Constitution and seeking what it could not achieve in the Ohrid Framework negotiations, seeking to establish bilingual requirements almost throughout Macedonia. The three items agreed to in the verbal May 29 agreement have been submitted to Parliament, but are stalled by SDSM,s 2,000 amendments to the rulebook revision legislation. The working group on victims of conflict has made progress but now DUI has made new demands that have blocked further progress on the issue. (Comment: This summary avoids any reference to the GOM actions that contributed to SDSM introducing the mountain of amendments and DUI taking a more intransigent approach. End comment) ¶5. (SBU) State Judicial Council: The SJC is now working smoothly with the appointment of four new judges. The process has been &de-blocked8 and adding the final SJC member ) one of two whom the President proposes-- is not essential. The EU Special Representative noted that the way the 4 SJC members were appointed was not propitious and urged consideration of the President,s nominee to fill the remaining seat on the Council. The PM replied that legal experts were divided on whether the President could nominate two candidates from minority groups. He said he would meet with more experts and believed there would be resolution within two months. (Comment: OSCE legal experts are clear that there is no/no obligation for the President to name an ethnic Macedonian as one of his nominees. Additionally, to introduce ) as the GOM is de facto doing*an ethnicity test for the President,s SJC nominees appears to be contrary to UN conventions signed by Macedonia. End comment) ¶6. (U) Security situation: The PM noted tensions increasing as the Kosovo negotiating period ends. He regretted the loss of two police lives in recent clashes with criminals and emphasized it was important for Macedonia not to allow criminal groups to be used for political ends. He repeatedly stressed that the country is stable and that the problems are with individual criminals or criminal groups composed largely of prison escapees or persons sought by the police "who are awaited by the courts." ¶7. (U) Constitutional Court Flag Ruling: The PM said that the controversial ruling on the Flag Law is not in force because the President of the Constitutional Court did not sign it. Once the legal situation is clarified it will be the responsibility of the GOM to implement the ruling. Asked by a diplomat whether the GOM would approach implementation in a sensitive manner, FonMin Milososki commented that this was their intention. ¶8. (U) Iraq platoon: the GoM has decided to nearly double its military presence in Iraq with the deployment of another platoon and will submit this to Parliament, most likely on Nov. 2. (NOTE: The GOM did submit the motion to double its troop presence to Parliament on November 2; GOM contacts expect the Parliament to approve the motion next week. END NOTE.) MILOVANOVIC