Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SKOPJE364
2008-06-04 15:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Skopje
Cable title:
MACEDONIA: OPPOSITION LEADER STEPS DOWN FOLLOWING
how-toVZCZCXRO1142 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHSQ #0364 1561502 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 041502Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7403 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0333 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2292 RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
UNCLAS SKOPJE 000364
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO PINR MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: OPPOSITION LEADER STEPS DOWN FOLLOWING
ELECTORAL DEFEAT
REF: SKOPJE 356
UNCLAS SKOPJE 000364
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO PINR MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: OPPOSITION LEADER STEPS DOWN FOLLOWING
ELECTORAL DEFEAT
REF: SKOPJE 356
1. (SBU) Following her party's defeat in the June 1 early
parliamentary elections (reftel),Radmila Sekerinska,
President of the largest opposition party, the Social
Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM),stepped down on June 3.
Sekerinska conceded ruling party VMRO's landslide victory,
but noted that her party had managed to narrow the predicted
3:1 lead of her political opponents to a 2:1 lead that
secured 28 (out of 120) MP seats for her coalition.
Referring to SDSM's "established principle" of holding its
leaders solely accountable for election defeats, Sekerinska
said her decision was final and could not be reversed by
SDSM's Executive Committee.
COMMENT
2. (SBU) A former Deputy Prime Minister for European
Integration and a rising SDSM star, Sekerinska will remain an
important player on the political scene. Her close ties with
President Crvenkovski will help keep her in the higher SDSM
echelons of power. With no clear candidate to take her
position, a number of SDSM insiders' names have started
circulating as potential SDSM presidents: Igor Ivanovski
(SDSM VP, MP, and a Crvenkovski confidante); Jani Makraduli
(SDSM VP and SDSM Parliamentary Whip),Zoran Zaev (SDSM VP
and the successful mayor of the southeastern city of
Strumica); and Blagoj Handziski (Macedonia's Ambassador to
Athens and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister
of Defense.)
Milovanovic
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO PINR MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: OPPOSITION LEADER STEPS DOWN FOLLOWING
ELECTORAL DEFEAT
REF: SKOPJE 356
1. (SBU) Following her party's defeat in the June 1 early
parliamentary elections (reftel),Radmila Sekerinska,
President of the largest opposition party, the Social
Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM),stepped down on June 3.
Sekerinska conceded ruling party VMRO's landslide victory,
but noted that her party had managed to narrow the predicted
3:1 lead of her political opponents to a 2:1 lead that
secured 28 (out of 120) MP seats for her coalition.
Referring to SDSM's "established principle" of holding its
leaders solely accountable for election defeats, Sekerinska
said her decision was final and could not be reversed by
SDSM's Executive Committee.
COMMENT
2. (SBU) A former Deputy Prime Minister for European
Integration and a rising SDSM star, Sekerinska will remain an
important player on the political scene. Her close ties with
President Crvenkovski will help keep her in the higher SDSM
echelons of power. With no clear candidate to take her
position, a number of SDSM insiders' names have started
circulating as potential SDSM presidents: Igor Ivanovski
(SDSM VP, MP, and a Crvenkovski confidante); Jani Makraduli
(SDSM VP and SDSM Parliamentary Whip),Zoran Zaev (SDSM VP
and the successful mayor of the southeastern city of
Strumica); and Blagoj Handziski (Macedonia's Ambassador to
Athens and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister
of Defense.)
Milovanovic