KOSOVO: HIGH HOPES FOR NEW RETURNS MINISTER RASIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000530 SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE NSC FOR HELGERSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINR KV UNMIK SUBJECT: KOSOVO: HIGH HOPES FOR NEW RETURNS MINISTER RASIC REF: PRISTINA 0400 Classified By: Ambassador Tina S. Kaidanow for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The recent resignation of Minister for Communities and Returns Boban Stankovic (ethnic Serb) and his replacement by Sasa Rasic (also ethnic Serb) represents a new beginning for the Ministry, which has been plagued by corruption and mismanagement from its inception. Although considered necessary, the ministerial change did not come without political cost inside the small Kosovo Serb Independent Liberal Party (SLS). Rasic, who previously occupied the post of Deputy Interior Minister, has a legal background and worked in the Kosovo Police Service Directorate of Crime Analysis before that. He has promised us and the ICO that he, with the help of SLS caucus leader Bojan Stojanovic, will clean up the Ministry for Communities and Returns (MCR). Rasic also wants to rebuild the MCR's frayed relationship with international partners and donors. Our experience with Rasic has shown him to be intelligent, moderate, and focused on the goal of helping the Serb community in Kosovo. For the moment, we are hopeful that the MCR is in more competent hands and will better serve Kosovo's minorities and returnees. END SUMMARY. Reasons For the Change ¶2. (C) On September 22, Minister for Communities and Returns Boban Stankovic resigned from his position, citing "personal reasons" for his decision. Behind the scenes, Stankovic was confronting two issues that were affecting his ability to lead the MCR: 1) a still-unresolved investigation into allegations of corrupt practices at the Ministry for Communities and Returns (MCR); and 2) steadily deteriorating relations with key international agencies, including most prominently the UN Development Agency (UNDP) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) mission in Kosovo. Despite this, the deciding factor in his departure was the loss of faith he suffered within his own party. Stankovic, a member of the Kosovo Serb Independent Liberal Party (SLS),had increasingly been seen as a liability by the SLS leadership. Party President Slobodan Petrovic explained to us on September 19 that the other four members of the SLS governing board (Stankovic is the fifth) were highly disappointed with his "inept" handling of the MCR, which the SLS sees as its main tool to convince skeptical Kosovo Serbs that participation in Kosovo institutions can benefit them. Petrovic cited Stankovic's bad relations with the UN agencies and the lack of visible progress at the MCR as the main reasons the board decided to replace him at a September 18 session. Internal Wrangling ¶3. (C) Within the SLS, finding consensus on a replacement for Stankovic proved difficult. SLS caucus leader in the Kosovo Assembly Bojan Stojanovic had positioned himself for the job, but others within the SLS leadership did not agree that this small party should allow one of its members to simultaneously hold key positions in the Assembly and the government -- something larger political parties in Kosovo and elsewhere routinely do. As a result, the SLS chose Rasic as a compromise candidate acceptable to the entire party leadership. Stojanovic remains slightly embittered, but still desires to play a positive role within the party by helping Rasic at the MCR. Enter Sasa Rasic ¶4. (C) Rasic comes to the job after serving as Deputy Interior Minister since February 15. His previous work in the Kosovo Police Service Crime Analysis Directorate and before that at the Lipljan KPS station helped prepare him well for that position. Both we and Kosovo Interior Minister Pajaziti found Rasic suited to his role in the Interior Ministry. Specifically, his attention to detail and his intelligent, quick-learning style helped the Ministry communicate with the many Kosovo Serb KPS officers who remain PRISTINA 00000530 002 OF 002 away from their posts in the wake of Kosovo's independence. Stojanovic's Role ¶5. (C) Stojanovic, while disappointed that he did not become the new minister, plans to play an active role in the MCR. On September 26, Rasic and Stojanovic met us, along with ICO officers, to inform us that Rasic had decided to name Stojanovic as his main advisor. Stojanovic told us that he wants this formal role in the MCR decision-making process, also explaining that both he and Rasic consider the MCR too large and important to the SLS' larger goals to leave in the hands of only one of their top party members. Stojanovic will not seek any compensation for this role, and will retain his seat in the Assembly. International Support ¶6. (C) Other international observers agree with us that the Rasic-Stojanovic team is a welcome change at the MCR. UNDP program manager Kim Vetting told us Sept. 29 that he has a great deal of confidence in the new MCR team and will work closely with them to get the stalled returns projects moving, most notably construction of a 60-family apartment complex for Serb returnees and internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in the Serb enclave of Laplje Selo. Stojanovic has made it clear on several occasions that the SLS considers the period of Stankovic's tenure at the MCR "wasted time," and the party wants to redeem itself. Comment ¶7. (C) The SLS is a small party with limited capacity and experience. In our estimation, and that of others who work closely with them (such as the ICO),Sasa Rasic and Bojan Stojanovic are the two most-qualified SLS party members to handle the MCR. They are the most active in party development, expansion, and planning. Most important, they have shown that they share our crucial objective of convincing Kosovo Serbs, who have largely rejected participation in Kosovo institutions, that such participation is very much in their interest. We will work with our international partners to ensure that the MCR moves ahead and achieves concrete results for Kosovo's Serb community. Ultimately, however, it is the SLS itself which has the most urgent political and party-related reasons to make the MCR work, and now must do so. KAIDANOW