US embassy cable - 01HARARE2743

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002743 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. 09/17/11 
TAGS: PREL, KDEM, PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION OF IFES EXPULSION WITH MFA 
 
REFS:  A) HARARE 2710  B) HARARE 2690 
 
CLASSIFIED BY DCM ROBERT WHITEHEAD.  REASONS:  1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) IN A SEPTEMBER 17 MEETING WITH MFA DIVISION DIRECTOR FOR 
EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS JONATHAN WUTAWUNASHE, CHARGE ROTH RAISED 
U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXPULSION OF THE TEAM FROM THE 
INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTION SYSTEMS (IFES -- REF B), AND 
PROVIDED A COPY OF THE EMBASSY'S SEPTEMBER 13 DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON 
THIS MATTER.   THE CHARGE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ELECTION OBSERVATION 
IS A SENSITIVE ISSUE AND ASKED FOR A CLEARER SENSE OF THE GOZ'S 
POSITION ON WHETHER INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS WOULD BE PERMITTED IN 
THE RUN-UP TO THE 2002 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. 
 
2.  (C) WUTAWUNASHE REPLIED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST HE HAD HEARD 
OF THE MATTER; HE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN A COPY OF OUR DIPLOMATIC 
NOTE.  TOLD THAT THE TEAM HAD NOT NOTIFIED THE GOZ PRIOR TO ITS 
VISIT, WUTAWUNASHE SAID THAT WAS LIKELY THE CORE OF THEIR 
DIFFICULTIES.  ELECTION OBSERVERS, HE INSISTED, SHOULD BE INVITED 
INTO ZIMBABWE, NOT "FOIST THEMSELVES" ONTO THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. 
WUTAWUNASHE SAID ZIMBABWE HAS ALWAYS HELD ELECTIONS "ON TIME."  HE 
ACKNOWLEDGED THE ZIMBABWE HAD EXPERIENCED ELECTION-RELATED 
PROBLEMS SUCH AS VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION, BUT HE EMPHASIZED THAT 
ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE PERPETRATORS.  THE "OTHER 
GUYS," HE INSISTED, "ARE NOT HELPLESS."  THAT, ROTH RESPONDED, IS 
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE CREDIBLE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS HERE, 
SO THAT THEY CAN DOCUMENT PROBLEMS AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 
THEM. 
 
3.  (C) THERE IS A CERTAIN "PSYCHOLOGY" AND "PARANOIA" PREVAILING 
WITHIN THE GOZ, WUTAWUNASHE REPLIED, THAT LEADS MANY OFFICIALS TO 
CONCLUDE THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN "CONFERENCES" IN 
FOREIGN CAPITALS CALLING FOR MUGABE'S DEPARTURE AND THE PRESSURE 
FROM GROUPS WANTING TO MONITOR THE ELECTIONS.  THERE IS A 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  02743  181640Z 
PERCEPTION AMONG MANY, WUTAWUNASHE POINTED OUT, THAT THE MDC WAS 
NOT FORMED IN ZIMBABWE BUT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THAT THE 
OPPOSITION'S ACTIVITIES ARE NOT "HOME-GROWN."  THE CHARGE SAID HE 
WAS AWARE OF THAT PERCEPTION.  THAT IS WHY THE UNITED STATES WANTS 
TO FOLLOW ZIMBABWE'S RULES AND WHY WE WERE SEEKING CLARIFICATION 
ON HOW TO PROCEED.  WUTAWUNASHE RESPONDED ONLY THAT "A LITTLE BIT 
OF PATIENCE ON THE PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WOULD BE A 
GOOD THING." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
4.  (C) IT WAS APPARENT THAT WUTAWUNASHE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN 
PROVIDING CLARIFICATION ON THE GROUND RULES FOR INTERNATIONAL 
ELECTION OBSERVERS.  HIS DESCRIPTION OF PARANOIA WITHIN THE 
GOVERNMENT AND RULING PARTY, HOWEVER, IS SPOT ON.  WE ARE BECOMING 
INCREASINGLY CONVINCED THAT THE GOZ WILL USE PROCEDURAL AND OTHER 
ROADBLOCKS TO PREVENT VISITS BY OBSERVER MISSIONS WHOSE 
ASSESSMENTS OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS MIGHT NOT BE FAVORABLE, 
LIKELY UNTIL JUST BEFORE THE ELECTION ITSELF.  SEVERAL DAYS AFTER 
IFES'S EXPULSION, A SIMILAR -- BUT MUCH LARGER -- EU TEAM 
SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE ON SEPTEMBER 23 WAS TOLD IT COULD NOT COME 
UNTIL IT HAD RECEIVED AN INVITATION FROM THE GOZ (SEPTEL).  THE 
GOZ, NOT SURPRISINGLY, DECLINED TO PROVIDE ANY DETAILS ON WHEN 
SUCH AN INVITATION MIGHT BE FORTHCOMING. 
 
ROTH 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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