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