US embassy cable - 01HARARE3651

UNCLAS HARARE 003651 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/RA FOR 
SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE REACTION TO HOUSE PASSAGE OF ZIMBABWE 
DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT. 
 
 
1.   THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' DECEMBER 4 PASSAGE 
    OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT 
   (ZDERA) WAS FRONT-PAGE NEWS IN ZIMBABWE ON DECEMBER 6. 
 
2.   GOVERNMENT-OWNED DAILY "THE HERALD" GAVE THE STORY 
   ABOVE-THE-FOLD PLAY UNDER THE HEADLINE "ANTI-ZIM BILL 
   PASSED."  THE REPORT BLAMES THE OPPOSITION MDC PARTY, 
   COMMERCIAL FARMERS, "SOME LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS," THE 
   BRITISH, AND "RIGHTWINGERS" FOR THE BILL'S PASSAGE. 
   FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN ANDREW YOUNG IS QUOTED 
   IN THE STORY A SAYING THAT THE BILL IS "IRONIC IN THAT 
   AT ITS FOUNDING AMERICA NEVER RECOGNIZED THE LAND 
   PROGRAM GIVEN TO IT BY KING GEORGE III.  INSTEAD, 
   AMERICA WROTE AND ASSERTED HER OWN LAND POLICY." 
 
3.   THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE" 
   GAVE THE ISSUE TWO FRONT-PAGE PLACEMENTS" A STRAIGHT 
   NEWS STORY UNDER THE TITLE "US CONGRESS PASSES ZIMBABWE 
   SANCTIONS" AND A RELATIVELY RARE PAGE-ONE EDITORIAL 
   UNDER THE TITLE "NOOSE TIGHTENS ON PRESIDENT.  THE NEWS 
   STORY PROVIDED A STRAIGHT ACCOUNT OF THE BILL, LEAVENED 
   WITH QUOTES FROM CONGRESSMEN ROYCE AND LANTOS. 
 
4.   IN ITS FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL THE "FINANCIAL 
   GAZETTE" COMMENTED:  "THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE 
   INTERNATIONAL TIDE IS RISING AND NOW THREATENS TO SWEEP 
   AWAY PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE AND HIS REPRESSIVE REGIME. 
   THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THIS WEEK PASSED THE ZDERA THAT 
   WILL UNLEASH SMART SANCTIONS AGAINST MUGABE AND THE 
   POWERFUL CLIQUE OF SENIOR ZANU PF OFFICIALS AROUND HIM. 
   . .  BUT GIVEN THE STUBBORN NATURE OF ZIMBABWEAN 
   LEADERS, THERE REALLY IS NO HOPE THAT MUGABE AND HIS 
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   BAND OF MERRY MEN WILL RESPECT THE WISHES OF THE 
   INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ALLOW A FREE AND FAIR POLL 
   AND RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW.  WHAT IS MOST LIKELY IS 
   THAT THE ZIMBABWEAN LEADER WILL DEFY ALL EFFORTS TO 
   RESOLVE CONCERNS ABOUT HIS MISRULE AND, LIKE OSAMA BIN 
   LADEN, BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE. 
   TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR MUGABE AND ZANU PF BECAUSE THE 
   INTERNATIONAL TIDE AGAINST THEIR REPRESSIVE RULE IS 
   RISING AND RISING VERY FAST.  AND THE NOOSE IS 
   TIGHTENING." 
 
5.   THE PRIVATELY OWNED DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" 
   PUBLISHED THE STORY ON PAGE TWO UNDER THE TITLE 
   "ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL REACHES WATERSHED."  THAT 
   REPORT WAS FACTUAL, OFFERING A SUMMARY OF THE BILL, AND 
   QUOTES FROM CONGRESSMAN ED ROYCE.  THE ARTICLE ALSO 
   OFFERED REACTIONS TO THE BILL FROM ZANU-PF SPOKESMAN 
   NATHAN SHAMUYARIRA AND MDC SPOKESMAN LEARNMORE JONGWE. 
 
6.   ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION RADIO AND TV 
   ALSO GAVE ZDERA PROMINENT COVERAGE.  REPORTS WERE 
   GENERALLY FACTUAL, BUT SOUGHT TO BLAME THE OPPOSITION 
   AND OTHER PERCEIVED ENEMIES OF THE RULING PARTY FOR 
   PROMOTING THE BILL.  INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO 
   DOWNPLAYED THE BILL, DESCRIBING IT AS A "TEMPEST IN A 
   TEAPOT" DURING A ZBC TV INTERVIEW. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED