US embassy cable - 02HARARE617

UNCLAS HARARE 000617 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND 
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI 
FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
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1.   AS THE COUNTDOWN TO ZIMBABWE'S PRESIDENTIAL POLL 
   COMES TO A CLOSE, THIS ELECTION CONTINUES TO DOMINATE 
   EDITORIAL COLUMNS IN MOST MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS. 
   SAMPLES OF THE EDITORIALS FOLLOW: 
 
2.   UNDER HEADLINE "THE CHOICE IS SIMPLE: BETWEEN A 
   FIST AND A PALM," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE 
   INDEPENDENT WEEKLY THE "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" COMMENTS: 
 
"THE CHOICE THIS WEEKEND COULDN'T BE MORE SIMPLE: 
BETWEEN THE FIST ON THE ONE HAND AND THE OUTSTRETCHED 
PALM ON THE OTHER.  BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND PEACE.  THIS 
IS A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SYSTEMS. 
BETWEEN A BLIND AND MALIGNANT NATIONALISM ROOTED IN THE 
PAST, AND A FUTURE FULL OF PROMISE BASED ON DEMOCRACY 
AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.  MAKE NO MISTAKE, SHOULD 
PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE WIN ANOTHER SIX-YEAR TERM 
ZIMBABWEANS WILL BE DEPRIVED OF THEIR HOPE FOR 
SOMETHING BETTER. . ." 
 
3.   UNDER HEADLINE "REPORTS OF RIGGING MERE 
   FABRICATIONS," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT- 
   CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" COMMENTS: 
 
".ALREADY, THE OPPOSITION MDC AND ITS WESTERN MASTERS 
HAVE LAUNCHED A MASSIVE PROPAGANDA BLITZ THAT THIS 
WEEKEND'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL BE A FRAUD. . . 
THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED, FOR IT IS PART OF THEIR AGENDA 
TO CRITICIZE ANYTHING THAT IS NOT IN THEIR FAVOR. . . 
WE APPEAL TO ALL REGISTERED VOTERS TO TURN UP IN THEIR 
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THOUSANDS AND CAST THEIR VOTES TOMORROW AND SUNDAY. 
THEY SHOULD IGNORE WHAT THE OTHER FORCES ARE SAYING. 
THEY ARE ONLY BENT ON DISTURBING ZIMBABWE'S PEACE. 
ZIMBABWEANS NEED TO GIVE AN EMPHATIC NO TO THOSE WHO 
WANT TO REVERSE THE GAINS OF INDEPENDENCE AND TO RE- 
COLONIZE THE COUNTRY.  WE ARE SURE THAT WHEN ALL THIS 
HULLABALOO IS OVER, ZIMBABWEANS WILL HAVE BEEN DECLARED 
THE WINNER.  WHAT ZIMBABWEANS DESPERATELY NEED IS PEACE 
AND CALM." 
 
4.   AFTER RUNNING AN ARTICLE ACCUSING THE UNITED 
   STATES AND BRITAIN OF MASTERMINDING "A MAJOR MILITARY 
   OFFENSIVE" AGAINST THE MUGABE ADMINISTRATION IF IT 
   REMAINS IN POWER AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL POLL, THE 
   BULAWAYO GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" 
   DEDICATED ITS MARCH 8 EDITORIAL TO CALLING ON 
   ZIMBABWEANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE LIVING IN MATABELELAND, 
   TO RESIST BEING PLUNGED INTO ANOTHER ARMED CONFLICT. 
   UNDER HEADLINE "SAY NO TO WAR," THE PAPER COMMENTS: 
 
". . .FORMER COLONIAL MASTERS BRITAIN AND THEIR RACIST 
COUSINS, THE UNITED STATES, ARE PREPARING A MILITARY 
ATTACK ON ZIMBABWE.  ONCE AGAIN MATABELELAND IS BEING 
USED AS THE SCAPEGOAT.  THE DISTURBANCES IN THE EARLY 
1980S. . .ARE BEING USED AS THE 'REASON' FOR THE 
INSURGENCY.  TO PLAN MILITARY ACTION BASED ON FLIMSY 
'EVIDENCE' AND A HISTORY THAT ALL CONCERNED ARE TRYING 
TO RESOLVE AMICABLY IS HYPOCRISY AT ITS WORST.  WE 
DEMAND THAT BRITAIN AND THE U.S. COME CLEAN ON THIS ONE 
FOR ZIMBABWEANS WILL NOT JUST LOOK WHILE THEY ATTACK 
US. . .  BRITAIN AND THE U.S. ARE BACK TO THEIR EVIL 
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WAYS.  THEY ALWAYS GO FOR THE TRIBAL CARD.  THEY HAVE 
DONE SO IN BURUNDI, SOMALIA, ANGOLA AND RWANDA.  THE 
NEXT TARGET IS ZIMBABWE. . .  THIS TIME THE PEOPLE OF 
MATABELELAND SHOULD VOTE EN MASSE AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO 
RETURN THEM TO WAR.  THEY SHOULD SAY NO TO WAR." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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