BOSNIA: MEDIA MOGUL RADONCIC ESTABLISHES POLITICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SARAJEVO 001139

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR DAS JONES AND EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2019
TAGS: PGOV BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: MEDIA MOGUL RADONCIC ESTABLISHES POLITICAL
PARTY

Classified By: DCM Jonathan Moore for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Fahrudin Radoncic, owner of Sarajevo-based daily
Dnevni Avaz, announced September 24 his intention to form a
new political party. Radoncic counts on winning over the
membership and electorate of the two largest Bosniak parties,
and enjoys support from the influential head of Islamic
community. Allegedly, the party's top priorities will be
economic development as well as NATO and EU accession.
However, Radoncic -- himself under investigation -- also
vowed to fight corruption, organized crime and Bosniak
"isolation and self-isolation." The powerful media
instruments under Radoncic's control make his party
potentially a force to be reckoned with in the next year's
general elections. However, Radoncic's close ties to the
heavily politicized Islamic community, the tendency of his
newspaper to pursue demagogic populism, and his own alleged
ties to criminal activity make it unlikely that his party
will be a constructive force in Bosnian politics. End
summary.

A New Party
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2. (SBU) At a September 24 press conference, Radoncic said
that his party will focus on fighting corruption and
crime, and on developing the Bosnian economy. He made a
reference to Silvio Berlusconi, who Radoncic seems to view
as a role model, commenting that Italy had been plagued by
unstable governments until Berlusconi entered the
government and turned the situation around. Radoncic also
made an appeal to Bosniak nationalism, saying that those
who attacked the legacy of Bosniak wartime leader Alija
Izetbegovic will not be tolerated.


3. (SBU) Radoncic had previewed his new party's platform in
recent media interviews. In an article in "Global", a
political magazine he owns, Radoncic lamented "Islamophobia"
in BiH as well as Bosnia's corrupt and inept
political elites. He also stressed that his background as a
successful businessman would allow him to create a
business-oriented government that could bring investment,
jobs and prosperity to Bosnia. He said that he would offer
a four-year contract to the Bosnian people to take the
country out of crisis and the Bosniaks out of "colonial
status." He argued that a deeply anti-Bosniak
political-mafia structure existed in Bosnia that wants to
stir confusion in the society and disrupt the system of
values.

Support from the Religious Community
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4. (C) Radoncic has many enemies in the political world who
both fear and hate him. However, Radoncic carefully
built a solid alliance with the head of Islamic community,
Reisu-l-ulema Mustafa Ceric, who is also business-oriented
and eager to exert political influence. Radoncic is not a
practicing Muslim, but he uses support from the Islamic
community to portray himself as an arch-protector of Muslims
in BiH. Reis Ceric, in a recent address to the faithful on
the occasion of the end of Ramadan, said that Bosniaks need a
leader who does not have to be pious, but must be competent
and decisive, hinting at support for Radoncic. (Note:
Radoncic, for his part, has ensured that the Reis gets
consistently positive coverage in his publications. End
note.)

Raiding SBiH and SDA
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5. (C) Radoncic's new party will be built with the help of
several active political figures, including Munib
Jusufovic (a defector from SBiH earlier this year).
Jusufovic outlined Radoncic's plans for us September 18.
Jusufovic told us that the new party will be highly
pragmatic, and will not seek confrontations with Republika
Srpska. He said that it is clear that the SDA, with its
internal problems and struggles between President Sulejman
Tihic and parliamentarian Bakir Izetbegovic, will not be able
to deal with serious challenges Bosnia and Herzegovina will
face in the near future. Jusufovic described the SBiH under
Haris Silajdzic as all but "destroyed," and argued that
Radoncic is the only Bosniak leader strong enough to deal

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with the upcoming challenges.


6. (C) Jusufovic confirmed that Radoncic has a good
relationship with Reis Ceric, but added that the
arrangement is based on convenience. He noted that the new
party will invite some already seasoned and established
politicians from other parties, primarily SDA and SBiH.
Reports in the Bosnian media have mentioned that the list
of names may include former and present SDA figures including
Adnan Terzic, Mirsad Kebo, Salko Obhodjas and such SBiH
officials as Gavrilo Grahovac. Jusufovic also said that
Radoncic will work closely with union leaders, seeing them as
powerful allies ahead of a season of mass strikes and
protests.

Comment
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7. The creation of a new party aimed at fighting corruption
and organized crime -- by a media mogul who is
widely alleged to be heavily involved with both -- is
unlikely to have a positive impact on Bosnian politics.
Having seen Radoncic direct his media outlets against us on
occasion, as well as against others including the respected
head of the financial police (in an effort to slow down a
pending criminal case against him),we are understandably
skeptical that Radoncic's party will be a consistent force
for good. The best that could be hoped from the party is
that a focus on pragmatic issues like promoting economic
development and investment would predominate over attempts to
make strong Bosniak nationalist appeals. However, the
tendency of his newspaper to pursue demagogic populism, and
his many alleged ties to corruption and organized crime, make
it more likely that his party -- one that has a good chance
of obtaining votes in the 2010 elections -- will be yet
another destructive force in Bosnian politics.
ENGLISH