US embassy cable - 05VIENNA2199

UNCLAS VIENNA 002199 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/AGS AND EUR/OHI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNAR, PHUM, PGOV, AU 
SUBJECT:  AUSTRIA: CARINTHIAN STATE LEGISLATURE BLOCKS 
KAMPL FROM ASSUMING CHAIR OF FEDERAL UPPER HOUSE 
 
REF: VIENNA 1484 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. 
 
1.  (sbu) On June 29, The Carinthian State Legislature 
blocked controversial nationalist Siegfried Kampl 
(formerly BZO, now an Independent) from becoming 
president of the Federal Upper House. In a special 
session all but one of the 33 State Legislators present 
voted to drop Kampl.  Instead, BZO Member Peter Mitterer 
(58) will assume the rotating 6-month chair of Austria's 
Upper House on July 1. Kampl, who remains a member of the 
Federal Upper House, said he would challenge the move 
before Austria's constitutional court. 
 
2. (sbu) Kampl had unleashed a storm of protest in April 
when he complained of "brutal persecution" of Nazis after 
World War II and described "some WWII deserters" as 
"murderers of their comrades" (reftel). In response, on 
June 6, the national parliament passed a constitutional 
amendment allowing state legislatures to change the rank- 
order of their representatives to the Upper House. This 
ranking determines who will assume the presidency of the 
chamber (which rotates among the states every six 
months). 
 
3. (sbu) In a related development June 29, the Vienna 
state legislature unanimously voted to lift the immunity 
of controversial Vienna legislator John Gudenus.  Gudenus 
had recently made statements questioning the existence of 
gas chambers in the Third Reich. This will clear the way 
for the public prosecutor to initiate preliminary 
investigations against Gudenus for violation of Austria's 
law against neo-Nazi activities. 
 
Brown