US embassy cable - 00HARARE3490

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GOZ BEGINS ANNOUNCING RESULTS; UNCONFIRMED RUMORS OF MDC SUCCESS ABOUND

Identifier: 00HARARE3490
Wikileaks: View 00HARARE3490 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2000-06-26 17:29:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PGOV PINS ZI
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

261729Z Jun 00

 

                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO7571

PAGE 01        HARARE  03490  261725Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DINT-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  
      DS-00    FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   L-00     
      VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SSO-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /006W
                  ------------------671B90  261726Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6444
INFO NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 003490 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN 
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND T. FAULK 
AF/PD FOR PATIN AND HOWARD 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/10 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, ZI 
SUBJECT: GOZ BEGINS ANNOUNCING RESULTS; 
UNCONFIRMED RUMORS OF MDC SUCCESS ABOUND 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD.  REASON: 
1.5(B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C)  INITIAL RESULTS OF THE JUNE 24-25 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  03490  261725Z 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WERE ANNOUNCED AT 1830 LOCAL 
TIME BY REGISTRAR GENERAL TOBIWA MUDEDE.  THE THREE 
CONSTITUENCIES ANNOUNCED, ALL IN MATABELELAND 
PROVINCE, VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR MOVEMENT FOR 
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) CANDIDATES.  THE RUMOR MILL 
IS GIVING THE MDC VICTORIES IN ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF 
THE CONSTITUENCIES.  UNCONFIRMED REPORTS GIVE THE 
MDC VICTORIES IN BULAWAYO, VICTORIA FALLS, HWANGE, 
GWANDA, MARONDERA, MASVINGO CENTRAL, HARARE NORTH 
AND HARARE CENTRAL.  MDC WINNERS ARE SAID TO INCLUDE 
DAVID COLTART, WELSHMAN NCUBE, AND TRUDIE STEVENSON. 
IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER MDC LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI 
WON THE RACE IN BUHERA NORTH CONSTITUENCY.  AT THIS 
WRITING, IT APPEARS THAT ZANU-PF LOSERS MAY INCLUDE 
SOME KEY MINISTERS, AS WELL AS MASHONALAND CENTRAL 
GOVERNOR BORDER GEZI, WAR VET LEADER HITLER HUNZVI, 
AND DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TONY GARA. 
AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL UNCONFIRMED RUMORS. AN MDC 
SOURCE ANNOUNCED HIMSELF "SATISFIED" WITH THE 
CONDUCT OF THE COUNTING.  ISAAC MAPOSA OF THE 
NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY, WHO IS 
SPEARHEADING THE DOMESTIC OBSERVER EFFORT, EXPRESSED 
CONCERN THAT THE DELAY IN ANNOUNCING RESULTS WILL 
MAKE MANIPULATION OF THEM EASIER, SINCE MONITORS AND 
PARTY AGENTS WHO HAVE BEEN GUARDING THE BALLOT BOXES 
NIGHT AND DAY SINCE SATURDAY ARE BY NOW EXHAUSTED. 
 
2. (U)  OFFICIALS AT THE GOVERNMENT'S MEDIA CENTER, 
WHICH OPENED AT 11:00 A.M., ANNOUNCED AT ABOUT 3:30 
P.M. THAT THE LARGE VOTER TURNOUT HAD DELAYED 
COUNTING, AND APPEALED FOR CALM AS THE RESULTS ARE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  03490  261725Z 
AWAITED. THEY SAID THAT POLICE WOULD BE DEPLOYED TO 
EVERY CONSTITUENCY IN THE COUNTRY AND WOULD REMAIN 
THERE UNTIL THE COUNTING PROCESS IS COMPLETED. 
 
3.  (U)  AT THIS WRITING, AN EMBASSY OFFICER REPORTS 
THAT BULAWAYO IS CALM, AND HARARE IS AS WELL.  ALL 
EMBASSY ELECTION OBSERVERS ARE SAFE.  AN EAC MEETING 
WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 27. 
MCDONALD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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