US embassy cable - 01HARARE3330

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 003330 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPTARTMENT FOR AF/S, MARK SCHLACHTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/06 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY HOLDS FORTH ON 
         ELECTION OBSERVATION, OTHER ISSUES 
 
CLASSIFIED BY DCM REWHITEHEAD DUE TO 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY.  ON NOVEMBER 6, AMBASSADOR PAID AN 
INITIAL COURTESY CALL ON WILLARD CHIWEWE, PERMANENT 
SECRETARY (AND THIRD-RANKING OFFICER) AT THE MINISTRY OF 
 
SIPDIS 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.  AFTER INITIAL EXCHANGES ON THE WAR 
AGAINST TERRORISM AND GOZ COOPERATION IN PROTECTING 
AMCITS AFFECTED BY THE FAST-TRACK LAND ACQUISITION 
PROGRAM, THE SUBJECT TURNED TO ELECTION OBSERVATION AND 
THE ROLE OF IFES.  CHIWEWE REACTED WITH A RAMBLING 
LECTURE ABOUT SOVEREIGNTY AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
MOTIVES THAT AT MOMENTS BORDERED ON THE PARANOID.  THE 
MEETING CONCLUDED ON A GENTLER NOTE, WITH CHIWEWE 
DESCRIBING HIS LOVE OF THE LAND AND HIS SHORTCOMINGS IN 
THE ART OF DIPLOMATIC DISCOURSE, WITH WHICH WE HEARTILY 
AGREE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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THE WAR ON TERROR AND SECURITY ISSUES 
------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) THE AMBASSADOR OPENED THE EXCHANGE BY RAISING 
SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES DISCUSSED WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE 
DURING THE PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS IN OCTOBER.  HE 
EXPRESSED USG SATISFACTION WITH THE GOOD COOPERATION OF 
THE POLICE AND CIO ON TERRORISM RELATED ISSUES.  HE 
OBSERVED THAT IN AN EARLIER MEETING, SPEAKER OF THE 
PARLIAMENT MNANGAGWA HAD URGED THAT THE U.S. CONCLUDE 
THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM QUICKLY.  OBVIOUSLY, WE 
WOULD LIKE TO SEE SUCH AN OUTCOME, BUT BY ITS NATURE THE 
INTERNATIONAL APPROACH TO THIS COMPLEX PROBLEM MUST BY 
THOROUGH AND NOT DEPEND ON INSTANT SOLUTIONS.  THE 
AMBASSADOR CITED THE UN COUNTERTERRORISM CONVENTIONS 
THAT THE GOZ HAS NOT YET RATIFIED AND EXPRESSED OUR HOPE 
THAT THE MFA CAN MOVE QUICKLY TO GET THESE BEFORE 
PARLIAMENT, SINCE THEY ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO THWART TERRORISM. 
 
3.  (SBU) THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT THE EMBASSY HAD NOT 
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YET GOTTEN FINAL MFA PERMISSION TO ERECT A SECURITY 
FENCE AROUND OUR VERY EXPOSED PARKING LOT, ALTHOUGH WE 
HAD RECEIVED ENCOURAGING NEWS THAT THIS WAS UNDER 
CONSIDERATION.  CHIWEWE, WHO HAD BEEN MUTE TO THIS 
POINT, REPLIED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THIS ISSUE HAD BEEN 
RESOLVED.  HE OBSERVED THAT THIS ALSO INVOLVED LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT, THEN INSTRUCTED AMERICAS DESK OFFICER 
CHIBUWE, THE NOTE TAKER, TO FOLLOW UP. 
 
----------------- 
AMCIT COOPERATION 
----------------- 
 
4.  (U) THE AMBASSADOR SAID WE ALSO APPRECIATED RECENT 
EFFORTS BY THE MFA TO ASSIST AMERICAN CITIZENS WHOSE 
DWELLINGS AND PROPERTY HAD BEEN ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY 
EVENTS IN THE COUNTRY.  EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION BY THE 
MFA HAD HELPED RESOLVE THESE CASES.  CHIWEWE REMAINED 
SPHINX-LIKE. 
 
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ELECTION OBSERVATION AND IFES 
----------------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) THE AMBASSADOR NEXT RAISED THE ISSUE OF 
ELECTION OBSERVATION SPECIFICALLY AS IT PERTAINED TO 
IFES.  HE REFERRED TO THE EXCELLENT INTERNATIONAL 
REPUTATION (AND INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS) THAT IFES ENJOYS 
AND BRIEFLY DESCRIBED THE ABORTIVE ATTEMPT BY IFES STAFF 
TO UNDERTAKE AN INITIAL ELECTIONS ASSESSMENT.  HE 
OBSERVED THAT A DEFINITIVE GOZ ANSWER ON WHEN IFES CAN 
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BECOME INVOLVED WOULD BE POSITIVE.  HE ADDED THAT IFES 
WAS INTERESTED IN AN OBSERVATION RATHER THAN MONITORING 
ROLE. 
 
6.  (C) THE NEW SUBJECT MATTER ANIMATED CHIWEWE 
CONSIDERABLY.  HE LAUNCHED INTO A LONG AND AT TIME 
PARANOID LECTURE QUESTIONING THE EAGERNESS OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO BECOME INVOLVED IN ZIMBABWEAN 
ELECTIONS, WHICH THE GOZ TOOK TO BE INTERFERENCE.  HE 
CITED THE "COINCIDENCE" THAT THE EU HAD "DEMANDED" -- 
BUT NOW WERE REDUCED TO "REQUESTING" -- A SIMILAR 
RESPONSE.  THIS HAD TO DO WITH THE OPPOSITION PARTY THAT 
HAD ATTRACTED INTERNATIONAL INTEREST AND WAS BEING 
"NURSED BY DOMINANT INTERESTS".  THE GOZ VIEWED SUCH 
REQUESTS AGAINST THIS BACKDROP. 
 
7.  (C) THE AMBASSADOR RESPONDED THAT WE BELIEVE THAT 
ZIMBABWEANS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN 
GOVERNMENT.  AMERICANS DON'T VOTE HERE, BUT THEY DO 
RETAIN STRONG INTEREST IN UNIVERSAL DEMOCRATIC 
PRINCIPLES.  CHIWEWE WAS OFF TO THE RACES AGAIN, ARGUING 
THAT AMERICAN REBELLION AGAINST THE COLONIAL CROWN MEANT 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ8114 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  03330  02 OF 02  071018Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  DOTE-00  DS-00 
      EB-00    FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01 
      VCE-00   NSAE-00  EPAE-00  DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00  SAS-00 
        /003W 
                  ------------------3B072F  071018Z /38 
P 070936Z NOV 01 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0228 
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 003330 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPTARTMENT FOR AF/S, MARK SCHLACHTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/06 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY HOLDS FORTH ON 
         ELECTION OBSERVATION, OTHER ISSUES 
 
THAT OUR TWO COUNTRIES COME FROM THE SAME IDEOLOGICAL 
ORIGIN.  ZIMBABWE WANTS TO BE ON THE SIDE OF THOSE WHO 
PROMOTE DEMOCRACY AND HOLD FAIR LAW AND THE PRINCIPLES 
OF JUSTICE DEAR.  WE SHOULD HAVE NO DOUBT THAT GOZ 
LEADERSHIP, AND PRESIDENT MUGABE AND HIS PARTY, ARE 
COMMITTED TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. 
 
8.  (C) CHIWEWE FILIBUSTERED AT LENGTH ABOUT ZIMBABWE'S 
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PAGE 02        HARARE  03330  02 OF 02  071018Z 
HISTORY OF ELECTIONS SINCE 1980, EMPHASIZING THAT THEY 
HAD RECEIVED A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH DURING THE 
MARXIST/LENINIST PERIOD FROM 1980-1991.  HE SNORTED THAT 
SINCE 1999 A LOT OF CASH HAD BEEN INVESTED IN A NEW 
PARTY, AND THE INVESTORS WERE ANXIOUS THAT THE 
"POLITICAL ELECTIONS GUARANTEE SOLID DIVIDENDS".  HE 
CITED THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION AS A CHIEF CULPRIT AND 
ASKED HOW ZIMBABWE COULD EXPECT HONEST OBSERVERS FROM 
SUCH BIASED GROUPS. 
 
9.  (C) CHIWEWE SAID THAT THE IFES AND EU REQUESTS HAD 
TO BE EXAMINED FROM THIS OPTIC.  HE EXPLAINED THAT "THE 
CONTEXT IS NOT OBJECTIVE".   WHY IS THE U.S. TAKING 
SIDES INSTEAD OF PLAYING THE HONEST BROKER, AS IT HAD AT 
LANCASTER HOUSE?   THE GOZ FEARED PRE-JUDGMENT.  HE 
CONCLUDED BY STRESSING THAT THE GOZ HAD ALWAYS INVITED 
OBSERVERS, SO WHY WERE THE USUAL GUESTS ASKING FOR AN 
INVITATION THIS TIME AROUND?  ZIMBABWE HAD NO ELECTORAL 
SKELETONS IN THE CUPBOARD.  SOMETIMES THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY CREATES CONDITIONS TO FORCE OTHERS TO ASK 
SOMETHING, AND THEREBY CREATE CONDITIONS TO CONDEMN. 
THE EU WAS USING ARTICLE 96 CONSULTATIONS TO TRY AND 
FORCE ZIMBABWE TO AGREE TO EU DEMANDS.  THIS ASSUMED 
EUROPEAN AUTHORITY OVER ZIMBABWEANS AND REMINDED THEM OF 
THE SAD PAST. 
 
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CHIWEWE ON CHIWEWE 
------------------ 
 
10. (C) CHIWEWE LIGHTENED UP CONSIDERABLY ON THE SUBJECT 
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OF HIMSELF.  HE VOLUNTEERED THAT HE SPOKE FRANKLY.  SOME 
CALLED HIS HONEST STYLE RUDE OR EVEN AGGRESSIVE, BUT IT 
HAD SERVED HIM WELL IN HIS ROLE AS A PEACEMAKER IN THE 
RENAMO/FRELIMO RAPPROCHEMENT.  HE NOTED OUT OF THE BLUE 
THAT HE WAS UNREACHABLE 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME ON 
WEEKENDS BECAUSE BE WAS GARDENING AT HIS RURAL HOME IS 
MASVINGO.  HE CONTINUED THAT HE SPOKE NOT AS A 
BUREAUCRAT, BUT AS "SOME SORT OF SCIENTIST".  AS A 
CLOSER, HE PROCLAIMED THAT THERE WAS FERTILE GROUND FOR 
RICH BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND THE U.S., 
AND EVEN ZIMBABWE AND THE UK. 
 
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COMMENT 
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11.  (C) THE MEETING WAS AT TIMES AMUSING, IF NOT 
PARTICULARLY ENLIGHTENING.  CHIWEWE'S ROLE AS FRONT MAN 
IN DEALING WITH THE EU ON ARTICLE 8 CONSULTATIONS IS 
PROBABLY AS GOOD AN EXPLANATION AS ANY FOR THE EU MOVING 
TO ARTICLE 96.  HE IS CLEARLY A MAN WHO RELISHES HIS 
ROLE AS CEREBUS GUARDING THE GATES FOR ZANU-PF, AND IS 
DETERMINED NOT TO YIELD THIS SINECURE WITHOUT A TUSSLE. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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