Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 14257 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden 00. Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Jordan Yemen

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04 2011/05 2011/06
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28 2011/04/29 2011/04/30
2011/05/01 2011/05/02 2011/05/03 2011/05/04 2011/05/05 2011/05/06 2011/05/07 2011/05/08 2011/05/09 2011/05/10 2011/05/11 2011/05/12 2011/05/13 2011/05/14 2011/05/15 2011/05/16 2011/05/17 2011/05/18 2011/05/19 2011/05/20 2011/05/21 2011/05/22 2011/05/23 2011/05/24 2011/05/25 2011/05/26 2011/05/27 2011/05/28 2011/05/29 2011/05/30 2011/05/31
2011/06/01 2011/06/02 2011/06/03 2011/06/04 2011/06/05

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/05 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01 1988/03 1988/07 1988/08
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/03 1992/06 1992/09 1992/12
1993/01 1993/10
1994/12
1995/04
1996/07 1996/11
1997/06 1997/10 1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/09 2001/10 2001/11
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/08 2002/09 2002/11 2002/12
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Apia Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Auckland Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belmopan Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Belfast Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dili Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown Consulate Fukuoka
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata Consulate Karachi
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy Niamey Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples Consulate Naha
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Suva Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sapporo Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana Consulate Thessaloniki
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ASEC AEMR AMGT AR APECO AU AORC AJ AF AFIN AS AM AFFAIRS AA AG ADM ALOW ACOA ATRN AID AND APER ADANA APEC ARABL ADPM ADCO AADP AL AMED AY AORG ASEAN ABUD ABLD AO AE ARF AGAO AROC APCS AINF AODE ACABQ AX AMEX AZ ASUP ARM AQ ATFN AMBASSADOR ACBAQ AFSI AFSN AC ASIG ASEX AER AVERY AGRICULTURE ASCH AFU AMG ATPDEA ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AORL AN AIT ANET AGMT ACS AGR AMCHAMS AECL AUC AFGHANISTAN ACAO
BR BB BG BEXP BY BA BRUSSELS BU BD BK BL BH BM BTIO BO BE BIDEN BX BP BILAT BC BF BBSR BT BMGT BWC BN BTIU
CPAS CA CASC CS CBW CIDA CO CODEL CI CROS CU CH CWC CMGT CVIS CDG CD CV CG CF CHIEF CJAN CBSA CE CY CT CM CR CONS CW CN CDC CONDOLEEZZA CICTE CYPRUS COUNTRY CBE CTR COUNTER CFED CARSON COM COPUOS CIVS CKGR CHR CVR CLINTON COUNTERTERRORISM CITEL CLEARANCE COE CARICOM CB CSW CIC CITT CARIB CAFTA CACM CDB CJUS CTM CAN CONSULAR CLMT CBC CIA CNARC CIS CEUDA CAC CL CACS CAPC
DR DJ DHS DAO DCM DO DEFENSE DOMESTIC DK DOD DA DE DPRK DEPT DEA DISENGAGEMENT DOE DTRA DS DEAX
ECON ETTC EFIS ETRD EC EMIN EAGR EAID EU EFIN EUN ECIN EG EWWT EINV ENRG ELAB EPET EN EAIR EUMEM ECPS ELTN EIND EZ EI ER ET EINT ECONOMIC ENIV EFTA ES ECONOMY ELECTIONS ENERG EK EDEV ERNG EPA ENGR ETRC ENVI EXTERNAL ELN EAIDS ECA ECOSOC EUREM EDU ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EXIM EFINECONCS EINVEFIN ETC ENVR EAP EINN EXBS ENGY ECONOMICS EIAR EINDETRD ECONEFIN EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS ECIP EFIM EREL EINVETC ECONCS ETRA ESA EAIG EUR EUC ERD ETRN EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ESENV ENNP ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN
FR FI FAS FOREIGN FTAA FREEDOM FBI FINANCE FAA FJ FTA FARC FAC FAO FINR FM FDA FOR FOI FO FMLN FISO
GM GG GERARD GT GA GR GTIP GLOBAL GV GL GOV GOI GF GH GANGS GE GTMO GCC GAERC GZ GAZA GY GUILLERMO GASPAR
HR HO HA HYMPSK HK HUMAN HU HILLARY HI HUM HURI HSTC HEBRON HUMOR
IZ IN IAEA IS IMO ILO IR IC IT ITU IV IMF IBRD IWC IRAQI IDB ISRAELI ITALY ITPGOV ITALIAN INDO ICAO ITRA IPR INMARSAT ID ICRC INTERNAL IIP IRS ILC IO IEFIN ICJ ICTY IQ IA INTERPOL IEA INR INRB IAHRC ISRAEL IZPREL IRAJ IF ITPHUM IL IACI IDA ISLAMISTS IGAD ITF INRA INRO IBET INTELSAT IDP ICTR IRC
JA JO JM JP JUS JOSEPH JOHNNIE JOHN JAMES JIMENEZ
KOMC KNNP KFLO KDEM KSUM KIPR KFLU KPAO KE KCRM KJUS KAWC KZ KSCA KDRG KCOR KGHG KPAL KTIP KMCA KCRS KPKO KOLY KRVC KVPR KG KWBG KMDR KTER KSPR KV KTFN KWMN KFRD KSTH KS KN KISL KGIC KSEP KFIN KTEX KTIA KUNR KCMR KMOC KCIP KTDB KBIO KU KIDE KSTC KIRC KICC KSEO KSAF KR KIRF KCSY KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOCI KMPI KNUP KNUC KPAONZ KHLS KPRP KHDP KHIV KTRD KNAR KWAC KTAO KJUST KTBT KCRCM KNPP KAWK KPRV KACT KMRS KENV KBCT KFSC KBTS KVIR KX KVRP KO KHSA KMFO KSCI KNNPMNUC KERG KPWR KPIR KCFE KCOM KAID KTLA KPOA KNDP KRCM KCFC KNEI KCHG KPLS KREL KFTFN KTFM KLIG KDEMAF KRAD KBTR KGIT KGCC KICA KHUM KSEC KPIN KESS KDEV KWWMN KOM KWNM KRFD KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KRGY KREC KIFR KSAC KWMNCS KPAK KOMS KFPC KRIM KDDG KCGC KPAI KID KMIG KNSD KWMM
LY LE LABOR LU LA LI LTTE LG LH LO LAB LT LOG
MARR MX MASS MOPS MNUC MCAP MTCRE ML MR MRCRE MTRE MASC MY MK MAS MO MIL MTCR MG MAPP MAR MP MZ MU MD MA MOPPS MTS MLS MILI MEPN MEPI MEETINGS MERCOSUR MW MT MCC MIK MAPS MV MILITARY MARAD MDC MEPP MASSMNUC MUCN MEDIA MI MQADHAFI MPOS MPS MC
NZ NATO NI NO NG NL NU NPT NS NC NA NATIONAL NSF NDP NIPP NSSP NP NR NE NGO NAS NZUS NH NSG NAFTA NEW NRR NT NASA NAR NK NOVO NATOPREL NEA NSC NV NPA NSFO NW NORAD NPG
OTRA OECD OVIP OREP OPRC ODC OIIP OPDC OAS OSCE OPIC OMS OEXC OPCW OPAD ODIP OVIPPRELUNGANU OIE OFDP OFFICIALS OHUM OSCI OTR OMIG OSAC OBSP OFDA OVP ON OCII OES OCS OIC
PGOV PREL PARM PINR PHUM PM PREF PTER PK PINS PBIO PHSA PE PBTS PL POL PAK POV PNAT POLITICS POLICY PERL PA PPA PCI PAS PALESTINIAN PROP PREZ PTE PAIGH PO PROG POLITICAL PJUS PMIL PGOF PARMS PRAM PAO PREO PINO PG PDOV PSI PTERE PRGOV PORG PP PS PKFK PSOE PEPR PDEM PINT PMAR PRELP PREFA PNG PTBS PFOR PUNE PGOVLO PHUMBA POLINT PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PY PLN PHUH PEDRO PF PHUS PU PARTIES PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PHUMPREL POGOV PEL PINL PBT PINF PRL PSEPC POSTS PAHO PHUMPGOV PGOC PNR PROV
QA
RS RP RU RW RFE RCMP RIGHTSPOLMIL ROBERT RM RICE RO RELAM REGION ROOD RSP RF RELATIONS RIGHTS RUPREL REMON REACTION REPORT RSO
SZ SENV SOCI SNAR SY SO SP SU SI SMIG SYR SA SCUL SG SW SR SYRIA SNARM SPECIALIST SEN SC SF SENVSXE SL SAARC SARS SNARIZ STEINBERG SCRS SWE SN SAN ST SIPDIS SSA SPCVIS SOFA SENVKGHG SANC SHI SEVN SHUM SK SH SNARCS SPCE SNARN SIPRS
TRGY TBIO TSPA TU TPHY TI TX TH TIP TSPL TNGD TP TW TZ TF TN TC TS TT TK TD TERRORISM TWI TL TV TO TRSY TURKEY TINT TFIN TAGS TR TBID THPY
UK UNSC UNGA UN US USTR UZ USEU UV UG UP UNAUS UNMIK UY UR USPS UNSCR UNHRC UNMIC UNESCO UNCHR USUN UNHCR USGS UNEP USOAS USAID USNC UE UNVIE UAE UNO UNDP UNODC UNCHS UNFICYP UNDESCO UNC UNPUOS UNDC UNICEF UNCHC UNCSD UNFCYP UNIDROIT UNCND
VE VM VT VZ VTEG VTIZ VTPREL VENZ VAT VC VI VN
WHTI WIPO WTRO WS WHO WTO WZ WI WBG WMD WWARD WHA WITH WTRQ WEU WMO WA WFP WB
XA XR XW XX XK XL XM XS XF XG XT XH XB XU XV XD XC XY XZ XE XQ XI XTAG
YI YM YL YMCS YE
ZU ZI ZP ZR ZOELLICK ZF ZL ZB ZO ZJ ZEALAND ZN ZA ZK ZANU

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 08SKOPJE359, MACEDONIA'S ELECTIONS: RULING PARTY WINS, COUNTRY

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08SKOPJE359.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
08SKOPJE359 | 2008-06-02 17:06 | 2011-06-04 19:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Skopje
Appears in these articles: http://www.bivol.bg

`

    VZCZCXRO9152
    OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
    RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
    DE RUEHSQ #0359/01 1541706
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    O 021706Z JUN 08
    FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7395
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0327
    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 2288
    RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SKOPJE 000359

    SIPDIS

    STATE FOR EUR/SCE

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO MK
    SUBJECT: MACEDONIA'S ELECTIONS: RULING PARTY WINS, COUNTRY
    LOSES

    REF: SKOPJE 356

    SUMMARY
    ---------

    ¶1. (SBU) Macedonia's June 1 snap parliamentary elections
    resulted in an expected victory and absolute majority for the
    ruling VMRO party.  Despite numerous international community
    (IC) and media appeals for free and fair elections in the
    run-up to Election Day (reftel), voting was marred by
    numerous incidents of gross election irregularities,
    including ballot-stuffing, voter intimidation, and violence
    that resulted in one fatality and several injured.  While
    governing coalition partners VMRO and DPA labeled the
    elections "free and fair," opposition SDSM and DUI, and IC
    and local observers condemned the violence and intimidation,
    which included illegal detention of election observers.  PM
    Gruevski has pledged to conduct reruns in all disputed areas,
    to punish all persons responsible for the violence, and to
    delay coalition talks until after free and fair reruns are
    held. End summary.

    UNSURPRISING ELECTION RESULTS
    -----------------------------

    ¶2. (SBU) As expected, governing VMRO won an absolute majority
    of seats in Macedonia's June 1 early parliamentary elections,
    followed by its rival SDSM.  Results for the two biggest
    eAlbanian parties, DUI and DPA, remain uncertain pending DUI
    appeals of the voting in two of the country's six electoral
    districts where there were widespread instances of fraud.
    Two smaller parties --eAlbanian party PDP and Macedonian
    Muslim party PEI-- may succeed in getting one MP seat each.
    With 98% of the ballots counted, the State Electoral
    Committee (SEC) has put overall voter turnout at 57.45% of
    all eligible voters.  Using SEC figures, the following
    parties are expected to enter Parliament:

    VMRO -- 64 MP seats (479,219 votes)
    SDSM -- 28 MP seats (231,978 votes)
    DUI -- 14 MP seats (107,230 votes)*
    DPA -- 12 MP seats (100,569 votes)*
    PDP -- 1 MP seat (8,847 votes)
    PEI -- 1 MP seat (7,669 votes)

    *likely to change after reruns

    ELECTIONS MARRED BY VIOLENCE...
    -------------------------------

    ¶3. (SBU) Early on the morning of June 1, in the village of
    Aracinovo near Skopje, police engaged in a firefight with DUI
    activists, resulting in one fatality and at least five
    wounded persons.  While the police claimed they returned fire
    after a group of armed civilians shot at them from a house,
    DUI said the victims were on their way out of a polling
    station (PS) when the police opened fire.  There also were
    reports of an additional casualty, who is in critical
    condition, after a shooting incident near DUI headquarters in
    Cair, a suburb of Skopje.

    ...INTIMIDATION, AND UNLAWFUL DETENTION
    ----------------------------------------

    ¶4. (SBU) The Mission's election monitoring teams registered
    instances in which people were physically prevented from
    voting and were otherwise intimidated after talking to
    international observers.  Around noon, armed DPA activists in
    the village of Poroj prevented a U.S. observer, her
    teammates, police, and SEC officials from leaving a polling
    station (PS) and threatening them with death if they attempt
    to leave.  The incident occurred when SEC officials,
    accompanied by police, arrived to remove ballot boxes and
    close the polling station because DPA had ejected the
    municipal election board and replaced it entirely with DPA
    personnel.  A DPA MP ended the incident with a negotiated
    "settlement," in which the captives were released if the SEC
    officials agreed to permit the ballot boxes to remain and the
    unaccredited DPA election board to continue to operate the
    PS.  The DPA operatives also confiscated the weapons of the
    police on the scene.  PM Gruevski told the Ambassador he

    SKOPJE 00000359  002 OF 003

    would follow up to ensure prosecution of the perpetrators.

    ...OTHER IRREGULARITIES
    ------------------------

    ¶5. (SBU) Signs of numerous election irregularities,
    especially in Electoral District 1 (Skopje area) and Election
    District 6 (northwestern Macedonia), started coming in as
    early as the opening of the polls at 7 a.m. on June 1.
    Irregularities reported included: massive ballot stuffing;
    ballot burning; destroying ballot boxes; use of weapons in
    close proximity to the PS; physical assaults on PS officials;
    and chasing observers out of a PS.  By mid-afternoon, over 60
    PSs had been closed or had suspended operations, and were
    deemed unsafe even for the police.  Local election
    observation NGO MOST reported that 97 of its observers had
    been withdrawn for security reasons, or were prevented from
    doing their jobs in a number of PSs.  In the rest of the
    country, there were reports of sporadic family voting, proxy
    voting, and other incidents, but the overall situation was
    much calmer.

    GOVERNING PARTNERS: "A VICTORY FOR MACEDONIA"
    ---------------------------------------------

    ¶6. (SBU) Hours after the polls closed, governing VMRO leader
    Gruevski said the elections were "an enormous victory" for
    the whole country.  He added that there would be reruns in a
    limited number of places to ensure that "each and every MP is
    elected fairly."  In a triumphalist speech, DPA's Thaci added
    that this was DPA's "sweetest victory" and rejected any need
    for reruns.  (Note: Preliminary results point to a DUI
    victory, but Thaci insisted that DPA was the party that
    received more votes.  End note).  Despite independent
    observer assessments that Thaci's party was behind the
    majority of election irregularities throughout the day, Thaci
    blamed rival DUI as the main culprit.  (Note: In a June 2
    meeting with the Ambassador, Gruevski pledged that there will
    be no coalition talks until after reruns are completed in a
    free and fair manner in the next two weeks.  End note)

    OPPOSITION: "THE PRICE IN HUMAN LIFE WAS TOO HIGH"
    --------------------------------------------- -----

    ¶7. (SBU) Opposition SDSM leader Sekerinska congratulated VMRO
    for its victory, but added that the fatality and other
    violent incidents indicated that the conduct of the elections
    had been "unacceptable."  DUI's Ahmeti said that, rather than
    a "day of joy and freedom," Election Day had been "a blood
    bath" orchestrated by DPA.  He added that the results in
    Election District 6 and in the municipality of Saraj in
    Election District 1 were unacceptable because of intimidation
    of observers and electoral officials.

    OBSERVERS CONDEMN IRREGULARITIES
    --------------------------------

    ¶8. (SBU) Throughout the day on June 1, the Embassy was in
    touch with all parties, urging them to calm their activists
    and stop the violence.  The Ambassador called the PM and
    urged him to exert pressure over his coalition partner DPA to
    stop the harassment and violence.  Her intervention appeared
    to result in the early afternoon arrest of DPA-affiliated
    crime boss Agim Krasniqi and some of his associates, all of
    them implicated in numerous violent incidents on Election
    Day, on charges of organizing a group to prevent others from
    voting.

    ¶9. (SBU) On June 2, the OSCE Office for Democratic
    Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) made public its
    preliminary conclusions from the June 1 elections.  Although
    the elections were "well administered procedurally," ODIHR
    assessed that Macedonia had failed to meet "key OSCE and
    Council of Europe commitments" due to "a failure to prevent
    violent acts" and "the limited and selective enforcement of
    laws."  ODIHR concluded that the overall assessment of the
    June 1 elections "will depend on whether the authorities will
    thoroughly investigate these serious violations."

    ¶10. (U) Earlier the same day, the local election monitoring
    NGO MOST said that "isolated but serious" incidents had

    SKOPJE 00000359  003 OF 003

    tarnished the integrity of the elections in certain areas of
    the country.  Only the SEC's readiness for quick and
    efficient reruns in a wide range of "problematic places,"
    according to MOST, would improve the overall situation after
    the elections.

    COMMENT
    -------

    ¶11. (SBU) These elections represent a significant setback for
    Macedonia's democratic development, and for its NATO
    membership prospects.  We, the EU, OSCE, and ODIHR have given
    the GOM room to repair the damage, however, if the government
    ensures free, fair and peaceful reruns.  Gruevski has pledged
    to do that, and we will do our utmost to ensure he follows
    through on his commitment and returns Macedonia to the
    positive course it was on before he made the fateful decision
    to call the early elections.
    Milovanovic

`