MACEDONIA TO HOLD EARLY ELECTIONS JUNE 1; OFFICIAL

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000262 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION STATE FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR NATO MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA TO HOLD EARLY ELECTIONS JUNE 1; OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN STARTS MAY 11 REF: SKOPJE 254 SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) Following two days of debate, the Macedonian Parliament adopted April 12 a decision to disband itself. The decision starts the clock on the first-ever early elections, now set for June 1, since Macedonia's independence 17 years ago. Before stepping down, the MPs authorized the next regular rotations of troop deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, but rejected opposition proposals to adopt a decision on equal access to the media during the election campaign, and on the appointment of an opposition-affiliated President of the State Electoral Commission. End summary. DECISION ON EARLY ELECTIONS... -------------- ¶2. (SBU) At 2 am on April 12, 70 MPs voted to dissolve the 120-seat Parliament, thus setting the stage for the first early general elections in Macedonia's 17-year history. Opposition SDSM and LDP were not present, having left the assembly earlier. The proposal to disband was tabled by eAlbanian opposition party DUI, and endorsed by ruling coalition partners eMacedonian VMRO-DPMNE and eAlbanian DPA (reftel). The decision needed 61 votes to pass, and received the support of coalition partners VMRO-DPMNE, the Socialist Party, some DPA MPs, and opposition DUI. Later in the day, the speaker of Parliament called elections for June 1, 2008. The official 20-day campaign period starts May 11. ...ADDITIONAL TROOP DEPLOYMENTS FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Immediately prior to giving up their mandates, the MPs held Parliament's last working session. MPs approved the GOM's proposal to send a medical unit to the EUFOR "Altea" mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to deploy the next regular rotations of Macedonian soldiers to Afghanistan and Iraq. ...CONCERNS ABOUT IMPACT ON NAME AND NATO -------------- ¶4. (SBU) During the vote on the dissolution of Parliament, opposition SDSM and LDP MPs left the hall in protest. GOM coalition partners NSDP, LP, VMRO-Narodna, as well as the Turkish, Serbian and Roma minority MPs and DPA's President Menduh Thaci, also failed to support the decision to disband Parliament. ¶5. (SBU) In the two days prior to the April 12 vote, numerous MPs from a range of government and opposition parties, except for those from VMRO-DPMNE and DUI, told us they were frustrated about the prospect of early election. Most thought now is the time to show progress on the name dispute with Greece, and that political energy "should not be wasted on unnecessary political moves." Stojan Andov, president of smaller coalition partner LP, suggested that "the name issue should be solved first" and blamed the GOM for "helping only Greece with this irresponsible move." Resigned to the early elections, opposition SDSM's Sekerinska added that they would be "disastrous for our country." Coalition eAlbanian partner DPA's President Thaci blamed DUI for this "bandit-like move" which he said he "had to support," to avoid being "called a coward." ...CONCERN ABOUT POSSIBLE ELECTION IRREGULARITIES -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Independent MP Vitanov, formerly part of the ruling coalition, summed up his colleagues' sentiments that VMRO-DPMNE's "inexperience and vanity" would lead Macedonia "away from a country ready for NATO towards a third-world country" with flawed elections. MPs from all parties voiced similar concerns about the conduct of the early elections. While most echoed NSDP President Petkovski's feeling that "elections in the Macedonian parts of the country will be free and fair," they also shared serious concerns about "the eAlbanian areas of the country." VMRO-DPMNE MP Veljanoski went so far as to appeal to the international community "to ensure security in the Albanian parts." ¶7. (SBU) Opposition SDSM saw foreshadowings of election irregularities in the fact that coalition MPs voted down a number of what SDSM thought were legally-required steps for conducting free and fair elections. According to Sekerinska, before its dissolution, Parliament failed to adopt a decision on equal access to the media during the campaign, or to appoint an opposition-affiliated President of the State Electoral Commission. COMMENT ¶8. (SBU) The widely-anticipated decision to go to early elections is now a fact and Skopje is bustling with election-related activity. With the dissolution of Parliament, the Gruevski government is now a caretaker government with limited authority. This means that any decision on Kosovo recognition will have to wait until a new government is formed. On the name negotiations, the Prime Minister has said the government will continue to take part. MILOVANOVIC