US embassy cable - 01HARARE2690

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002690 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 09/13/11 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ZI 
SUBJECT: IFES TEAM ASKED TO LEAVE ZIMBABWE 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.  REASONS: 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) A WEEK AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL IN ZIMBABWE, A TWO-MEMBER 
ADVANCE TEAM FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTION 
SYSTEMS (IFES) WAS ASKED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE TO LEAVE 
THE COUNTRY.  IFES AFRICA PROGRAM DIRECTOR TOM BAYER AND SENIOR 
PROGRAM OFFICER LAURIE COOPER ARRIVED IN ZIMBABWE ON SEPTEMBER 5 
TO CONDUCT AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION AND 
ELECTION PREPARATIONS, AND TO CLARIFY THE PARAMETERS OF IFES'S 
PROPOSED ELECTION OBSERVATION EFFORT.   THEY HAD PLANNED TO REMAIN 
IN ZIMBABWE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15.  DESPITE THEIR BEST EFFORTS TO 
MEET WITH THE KEY GOZ OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THE 
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE IFES TEAM RAN INTO A BRICK WALL.  WHEN 
BAYER SUBMITTED A LETTER SEEKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH REGISTRAR- 
GENERAL TOBAIWA MUDEDE, HE RECEIVED A CURT WRITTEN RESPONSE FROM 
AN UNDERLING DECLINING THE REQUEST TO MEET AND ADDING THAT "WE 
...WILL NOT NEED YOUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON ELECTION MATTERS, 
PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF YOUR LAST U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WHICH 
DEMONSTRATED THE CONTRARY.  WE HAVE NOT SEEN AFRICANS INVOLVED IN 
THE OBSERVATION OF EUROPEAN/AMERICAN ELECTIONS...ZIMBABWE WILL 
SATISFACTORILY MANAGE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WITHOUT YOUR 
ASSISTANCE."  IN A SUBSEQUENT CHANCE MEETING, MUDEDE BERATED 
COOPER, TELLING HER THAT THE GOZ WAS FULLY CAPABLE OF RUNNING ITS 
ELECTIONS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. 
 
2.  (C) ON SEPTEMBER 11, BAYER WAS VISITED AT HIS HOTEL BY THREE 
MEN WHO IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION 
OFFICERS, ONE OF WHOM PRESENTED VERIFYING IDENTIFICATION.  THEY 
ASKED WHAT THE TEAM WAS DOING HERE, WITH WHOM THEY WERE MEETING, 
AND WHY BAYER AND COOPER THOUGHT IFES ASSISTANCE WAS NEEDED.  THE 
GOZ OFFICIALS REQUESTED THAT BAYER AND COOPER PRESENT THEMSELVES 
LATER IN THE DAY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION'S HEADQUARTERS. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  02690  131147Z 
AT THE AFTERNOON MEETING, THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS CITED "WORRY" 
AND "SKEPTICISM" ABOUT IFES'S ACTIVITIES, PLUS IFES'S ALLEGED LACK 
OF IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTATION AND FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT 
NOTICE OF THE TEAM'S ARRIVAL TO RELEVANT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. 
BAYER AND COOPER WERE TOLD TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AND APPLY FOR A 
WORK PERMIT UPON THEIR RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES.  ASKED WHETHER 
THE TWO WERE BEING DEPORTED, THE RANKING IMMIGRATION OFFICER SAID 
"NO."  WHEN BAYER INQUIRED WHETHER HE AND COOPER WOULD BE 
PERMITTED TO RETURN TO ZIMBABWE, THE GOZ OFFICIAL SAID THEY WOULD 
BE WELCOME TO COME BACK "ON HOLIDAY." 
 
3.  (C) BAYER TOLD POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF ON SEPTEMBER 13 THAT HE 
AND COOPER PLANNED TO DEPART ZIMBABWE LATER THAT DAY.  IFES, HE 
SAID, WOULD TAKE THE NEXT WEEK TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE TEAM'S 
DIFFICULTIES HERE AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOUCH BASE WITH THE DEPARTMENT 
AND EMBASSY HARARE TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS.  BAYER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT 
IFES HAD INITIALLY PREFERRED TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM 
THE EMBASSY WHILE CONDUCTING ITS ACTIVITIES HERE.  HE THOUGHT, 
HOWEVER, THAT A CHANGE IN TACTICS MIGHT NOW BE NECESSARY, AND THAT 
THE EMBASSY MIGHT IN THE FUTURE HAVE TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE LIAISON 
ROLE BETWEEN IFES AND THE GOZ. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
4.  (C) IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THIS IS THE END OF THE ROAD HERE 
FOR IFES AS AN ORGANIZATION OR THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS AS IFES 
REPRESENTATIVES.  THE GOZ APPEARS TO HAVE DECIDED THAT IT DOES NOT 
WANT OUTSIDERS (AT LEAST FROM THE WEST) OBSERVING THE RUN-UP TO 
ELECTIONS, AND WE EXPECT THE GOZ TO TRY TO STYMIE IFES AT EVERY 
TURN.  (N.B. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THIS DECISION IS IRREVOCABLE OR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  02690  131147Z 
SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL REGIONAL AND NON-REGIONAL PRESSURES.)  WE 
AGREE WITH BAYER THAT THE EMBASSY WILL NEED TO PLAY A MORE VISIBLE 
ROLE IN SUPPORTING IFES IN-COUNTRY, INCLUDING KEEPING THE 
GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE INFORMED OF THE TEAM'S PROPOSED ACTIVITIES, 
IF THEY ARE TO HAVE ANY CHANCE AT SUCCESS.   AS A FIRST STEP, WE 
PLAN TO SEND A TEMPERATE DIPLOMATIC NOTE TO THE GOZ EXPRESSING OUR 
CONCERN ABOUT THE IFES TEAM'S DE FACTO EXPULSION, EMPHASIZING THAT 
THEY ARE A HIGHLY-RESPECTED, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED 
ORGANIZATION AND NOT PART OF THE USG.  WE INTEND TO EXPRESS OUR 
STRONG SUPPORT FOR THEIR WORK HERE, AND SEEK CLARIFICATION OF THE 
PROCEDURES IFES MUST FOLLOW IN ORDER TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR 
ACTIVITIES.  WE RECOMMEND HOLDING ANY OTHER ACTIONS IN ABEYANCE 
UNTIL WE RECEIVE AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSE, THE SUBSTANCE 
(AND TONE) OF WHICH SHOULD GUIDE OUR NEXT STEPS.   WE NOTE FOR THE 
RECORD THAT MUDEDE HAS ALSO REFUSED TO MEET WITH THE EU OFFICIAL 
SENT HERE TO PREPARE A LONG-TERM MONITORING INITIATIVE SIMILAR TO 
THE ONE ENVISAGED BY IFES. 
 
ROTH 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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