KAZAKHSTAN BREAKS THE DEADLOCK TO APPOINT A NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L USOSCE 000066 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2020 TAGS: PHUM PREL OSCE BK KZ RS SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN BREAKS THE DEADLOCK TO APPOINT A NEW REPRESENTATIVE FOR FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Carol Fuller for reasons 4.(b)&(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Russian Federation (RF) officially withdrew its candidate for the position of OSCE Representative for Freedom of the Media (RFoM) February 25, opening the door for the appointment of the Bosnian candidate - the overwhelming favorite of the participating States. Although the RF had been holding firm on its candidate, direct intervention by Kazakhstani Foreign Minister (FM) Saudabayev to RF FM Lavrov February 22 in Astana is believed to have broken the deadlock. The Kazakhstani Chairman in Office (CiO) deserves credit for appropriately resolving an early challenge to his leadership by ratifying the desires of the overwhelming majority of OSCE states in the face of isolated RF opposition. Procedures are currently underway to appoint Dunja Mijatovic to replace Miklos Haraszti as RFoM. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The term of the current OSCE RFoM, Miklos Haraszti, is due to expire on March 10. Out of an original seven candidates put forward by participating States, Bosnian Dunja Mijatovic, currently Director of Broadcasting at the Communications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emerged as the overwhelming favorite. All other participating States, save the RF, had agreed to withdraw their candidates in order to nominate Mijatovic by consensus. Even though the RF was aware that its candidate, Mikhail Fedotov, currently Executive Secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists, did not garner enough support to challenge Mijatovic, the RF refused to withdraw his candidacy. As such, there was the possibility that the process would have to be renewed and the position of RFoM would remain vacant after the expiration of Haraszti's term. ¶3. (C) After constant urging of the U.S. and other delegations to the OSCE, as well as by Washington stakeholders, FM Saudabayev, currently CiO of the OSCE, made the issue his top priority during meetings with FM Lavrov February 22 in Astana, according to CiO Representative Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov. It appears that Saudabayev's direct intervention to Lavrov finally broke the deadlock. Kazakhstan deserves credit for resolving this early challenge to its leadership by taking aboard the desires of the overwhelming majority of OSCE participating States rather than caving to the opposition of an isolated RF. ¶4. (U) A draft Ministerial Council Decision (MCD) appointing Mijatovic to a three-year term as RFoM was distributed to delegations February 26. A silence procedure to approve the MCD, if adopted by the March 3 Permanent Council, would expire on March 10, officially appointing the new RFoM. ¶5. (C) Comment: Convincing the RF to withdraw its candidate for RFoM was seen as a major "test" of Kazakhstan's leadership ability at the helm of the OSCE - and Kazakhstan passed, thanks to FM Saudabayev's intervention with FM Lavrov. The fact that Kazakhstan succeeded is seen by many delegations in Vienna, including us, as a highly positive sign that Kazakhstan is assuming its leadership role. There is however a widespread belief that the RF exacted a "price" for withdrawing its candidate. OSCE Secretary General (SG) de Brichambaut (protect) told Charge February 26 that the price was for Russia to get the deputy slot to the RFoM, currently held by a Swiss, slated to become vacant in October. The decision on deputy positions in the Secretariat are made by the Director (i.e., Mijatovic) and confirmed by the CiO, and the SG believes that some deal may have been cut with both. FULLER