MACEDONIAN MOI ON ELECTION CAMPAIGN INCIDENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SKOPJE 000345 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIAN MOI ON ELECTION CAMPAIGN INCIDENTS REF: SKOPJE 339 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: P/E LATHAM, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On May 26, DCM Navratil, EUSR Fouere, and ODIHR Ambassador Barry met jointly with Minister of Interior Gordana Jankulovska to discuss the continuing incidents of violence and intimidation related to the parliamentary election campaign. Jankulovska agreed that the incidents are damaging to the election process, but claimed that the MOI could not do more without clear evidence linking suspects to the violence. The DCM, Fouere and Barry emphasized that the MOI could do more to prevent such incidents from happening, and to ensure that members of the police are not involved. Jankulovska also forcefully confirmed that the MOI will pursue a legal case against SDSM opposition leader Radmila Shekerinska for slandering the police. Jankulovska said that, as part of the MOI's operational plan for the election, police will be deployed to geographical areas different from their homebases and will provide security at all polling stations. She agreed to allow U.S., EU, and OSCE security experts to review the operational plan. End Summary. Jankulovska - MOI's Hands Tied -------------- ¶2. (C) The DCM raised with Jankulovska our concerns over continuing incidents of election related violence in the ethnic Albanian communities (reftel) and provided her with a list of names of individuals allegedly orchestrating or committing the violence, provided to the Embassy by various sources. Jankulovska promised to see what could be done to investigate the individuals on the list. She complained that 90 percent of the violent incidents covered in the media have not been reported to the police, but that the police had investigated all reported incidents. She added that the police could not become involved in a "political debate" between the ethnic Albanian parties. The DCM disputed the description of these events as part of a "debate," and noted that people may be reluctant to report these incidents to the police when in several cases the police, especially the plainclothes "Alphas," were reported to have been perpetrators. Fouere echoed the DCM's concerns and said that police in high positions in the towns of Tetovo and Gostivar have demonstrated that they are not impartial, but openly support the ethnic Albanian party DPA. ¶3. (C) Fouere and Barry said that there have been reliable reports of armed men associated with DPA in convoys of cars, without license plates, driving at night in towns near Gostivar and intimidating the citizens. Jankulovska repeated that unless witnesses provide detailed reports, the MOI has little basis to respond to such incidents. She noted that after the shooting of DUI leader Ahmeti's car, the MOI received reports and responded quickly to arrest suspects. The DCM and Barry pushed back, arguing that the MOI could do more to prevent such incidents by stopping suspicious convoys of cars at night and searching them for weapons. ¶4. (C) The DCM asked Jankulovska whether she had any concerns about the actions of the Alpha police in Tetovo and Gostivar. She acknowledged that there had been several accusations made against the ethnic Albanian Alpha members in these areas, and said that in response the MOI had increased the number of ethnic Macedonian members of the Alpha teams. Jankulovska noted that the members of the Alpha units were nominated by the local police commanders, vetted by the MOI's Director of Security, and approved by her. ¶5. (C) Barry said that the police chain-of-command in Gostivar was unclear, since the Gostivar police commander had been appointed but had not yet assumed his duties. In his absence, the regional commander, a DPA supporter, claimed he was in charge. Jankulovska noted that she had appointed the Gostivar police commander at the suggestion of the DUI Mayor of Gostivar, but that the new chief appeared reluctant to start in his position. Barry Fouere and DCM requested that he be encouraged to take up the position as soon as possible. Jankulovska agreed, and noted that once he did so, he would be responsible for dealing with any incidents that took place. SKOPJE 00000345 002 OF 003 Send A Message To Menduh Thaci -------------- ¶6. (C) Barry told Jankulovska that DPA leader Menduh Thaci had told him that he had no confidence that the government institutions or municipal authorities would guarantee a fair election, so he would "take matters into his own hands," while DUI leader Ali Ahmeti had explicitly promised to refrain from violence. Jankulovska said that she disagreed with Thaci's statements, but she could not violate his freedom of speech. The DCM noted that most of the election-related violence had been directed against DUI election buildings and supporters. He stated that DPA needed to be brought under control, its members arrested if they committed crimes, and future incidents prevented. The DCM suggested that VMRO send a clear message to Thaci that any chance of DPA being in a future government coalition would depend upon DPA's conduct during the election campaign, rather than the number of parliamentary seats it wins. Jankulovska said that VMRO's leaders had publicly called on all political leaders to ensure free and fair elections. Opposition Leader To Face Slander Charges -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Jankulovska complained forcefully that opposition SDSM leader Radmila Shekerinska had publicly stated that the police were behind the assault on a journalist, even though the journalist had said the police did not assault him and the MOI had arrested a civilian suspect in the case. Jankulovska said that Shekerinska's comments constituted slander against the police, and therefore the MOI was filing criminal charges against her. Barry commented that the MOI filing criminal charges against the head of the largest opposition party on the eve of an election for something she had alleged sent the wrong message. Jankulovska reiterated that the MOI had provided Shekerinska with the facts of the case, yet Shekerinska had continued to make "criminal" slanderous statements against the police. TV Transmitter Case Under Investigation -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Fouere raised concerns about the theft of television transmitter equipment of several television stations near Tetovo, including the ethnic Albanian stations Alsat and Tetovo Art, which are considered sympathetic to DUI. Due to the theft, these stations were no longer broadcasting in the Tetovo area. Jankulovska said that the case had first been reported to the MOI when it was raised by an Alsat journalist during an MOI press conference. She said the police had immediately investigated the theft, and the investigation continued. MOI Plan To Ensure A Safe Election -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Barry asked whether the MOI's deployment plan for election day had been completed. Jankulovska said that the plan had been developed and that all polling stations across the country would be monitored by police. She added that the police would be deployed to areas where they do not normally live or work, in order to avoid any potential for improper police influence over the voters - for example, ethnic Albanian police would be sent to areas that are predominantly ethnic Macedonian, and vice versa. The DCM asked whether international experts could review the plan and Jankulovksa agreed to have police experts from the U.S. (the resident ICITAP advisor),EU and OSCE review the plan. Comment: Too Little Too Late? -------------- ¶10. (C) Jankulovska was correct in asserting that in some high-profile cases of election campaign related violence or intimidation the MOI has responded with investigations and a few arrests. However, she focused on legalistic reasons why the MOI could not do more in reacting to events, rather than suggesting ways the MOI would prevent future events from occurring. She also appeared to dismiss the possibility that the GOM or VMRO might be able to influence Thaci's actions. However, the joint message from us, the EUSR, and ODIHR clearly indicated the international community's serious concerns with the MOI's handling of the election campaign so far. The question is whether the MOI will now do more to try to prevent future incidents of violence and intimidation, and whether that will be enough to change the current tense SKOPJE 00000345 003 OF 003 atmosphere in Tetovo, Gostivar, and other areas in the few days remaining before Election Day on June 1. Milovanovic