US embassy cable - 02HARARE665

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000665 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/12 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI 
SUBJECT: SADC-PF ISSUES HARD-HITTING ASSESSMENT OF ZIMBABWEAN 
ELECTION PROCESS, WHILE SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM ENDORSES MUGABE VICTORY 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON.  REASONS: 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (U) ON MARCH 13, THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM ISSUED A TOUGH 
CRITIQUE OF THE ZIMBABWEAN ELECTION PROCESS, SAYING THE ELECTION 
CAMPAIGN WAS MARRED BY INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE IN ALL PROVINCES OF 
THE COUNTRY, PREDOMINANTLY AGAINST MDC SUPPORTERS.  THE SADC-PF 
CONCLUDED THAT THE CLIMATE OF "INSECURITY" PREVAILING IN ZIMBABWE 
SINCE THE JUNE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS PREVENTED AN ASSESSMENT 
THAT THE ELECTORAL PROCESS HAD COMPLIED WITH SADC'S ELECTORAL NORMS 
AND STANDARDS.  THE SOUTH AFRICAN OBSERVER MISSION, ON THE OTHER 
HAND, DESCRIBED THE ELECTION OUTCOME AS A LEGITIMATE EXPRESSION OF 
THE WILL OF THE ZIMBABWEAN PEOPLE AND CALLED ON THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY TO ACCEPT THE RESULT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM 
------------------------ 
 
2.  (U) THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM'S 70-MEMBER ELECTION 
OBSERVATION MISSION ISSUED ON MARCH 13 A HARD-HITTING STATEMENT ON 
THE ZIMBABWEAN ELECTORAL PROCESS (FAXED TO AF/S).  THEIR KEY 
FINDINGS ARE LISTED BELOW: 
 
--THE ELECTION PERIOD WAS CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH LEVELS OF 
POLARIZATION AND POLITICAL INTOLERANCE, LACK OF COMMUNICATION 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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AGAINST STAKEHOLDERS AND LACK OF FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION TO THE 
ELECTORATE, WHICH ARE NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR DEMOCRACY TO 
PREVAIL; 
 
--THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN WAS MARRED BY INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE IN ALL 
PROVINCES OF THE COUNTRY, PERPETRATED PRIMARILY AGAINST MDC 
SUPPORTERS OR PERCEIVED OPPONENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT; 
 
--THERE WERE NUMEROUS CASES OF ALLEGED TORTURE, ARSON, ASSAULT, AND 
INCIDENCES OF FALSE IMPRISONMENT, INCLUDING ABDUCTION OF MDC 
POLLING AGENTS.  IN ONE SUCH INCIDENT, A SADC-PF OBSERVER TEAM 
INTERVENED WHEN POLICE IN MASHONALAND CENTRAL DETAINED 24 MDC 
ELECTION AGENTS WHO WERE ON THEIR WAY TO HARARE TO VOTE; 
 
--ACTS OF VIOLENCE APPEARED TO BE SYSTEMATICALLY EMPLOYED BY YOUTH 
AND WAR VETERANS WITH CAMPS DOTTED AROUND THE COUNTRY; 
 
--THE USE OF RIOT SQUADS TO DISPERSE POTENTIAL VOTERS IN HARARE 
RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE POLICE; 
 
--THE RULING PARTY'S CAMPAIGN WAS RELATIVELY UNINTERRUPTED WHILE 
SOME OPPOSITION PARTY MEETINGS WERE CANCELLED OR INTERRUPTED; 
 
--THE REDUCTION OF POLLING STATIONS IN URBAN AREAS HAD A MAJOR 
IMPACT, RESULTING IN CONGESTION WITH SOME PEOPLE SPENDING MORE THAN 
48 HOURS IN QUEUES BECAUSE OF THEIR SHEER DETERMINATION TO VOTE.  A 
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE ELECTORATE WAS UNABLE TO VOTE AS A RESULT 
OF LOGISTICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER IMPEDIMENTS; 
 
--FREE MOVEMENT OF PARTY AGENTS WITH BALLOT BOXES WAS COMPROMISED 
BY INTIMIDATION AND REPORTED ABDUCTIONS IN SOME PROVINCES; 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00665  01 OF 02  131648Z 
 
--THERE WAS LACK OF ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC MEDIA BY POLITICAL PARTIES 
OTHER THAN THE RULING PARTY; 
 
--THE MISSION CONCLUDED THAT THE ELECTORAL PROCESS "COULD NOT BE 
SAID TO ADEQUATELY COMPLY WITH THE NORMS AND STANDARDS FOR 
ELECTIONS IN THE SADC REGION" AND URGED SADC HEADS OF STATE AND 
GOVERNMENT TO URGENTLY ENGAGE THE LEADERSHIP OF ZIMBABWE TO 
FACILITATE DIALOGUE AND RECONCILIATION. 
 
SOUTH AFRICAN OBSERVER MISSION 
------------------------------ 
 
3.  (U) SOUTH AFRICA'S OBSERVER MISSION DELIVERED ON MARCH 13 A 
DISAPPOINTING "INTERIM" STATEMENT ON THE ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENTIAL 
ELECTION.  SPEAKING IN A ROOM OVERFLOWING WITH INTERNATIONAL AND 
LOCAL JOURNALISTS AND MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY, 
DELEGATION LEADER SAM MOTSUENYANE SAID THE INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTORAL P 
ROCESS 
HAD BEEN THREATENED BY THE "REGULATORY FRAMEWORK," AND THAT THE PRESIDE 
NTIAL CAMPAIGN HAD BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY POLARIZATION, TENSION, VIOLENC 
E AND INTIMIDATION.  HE CRITICIZED 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0279 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00665  02 OF 02  131648Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  WHA-00   SRPP-00  EAP-00   EUR-00 
      VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   L-00     AC-01    NSAE-00 
      NSCE-00  OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00 
      SP-00    SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DRL-02 
      G-00     SAS-00     /005W 
                  ------------------73F9AB  131648Z /48 
O 131604Z MAR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1200 
INFO SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000665 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/12 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ZI 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00665  02 OF 02  131648Z 
SUBJECT: SADC-PF ISSUES HARD-HITTING ASSESSMENT OF ZIMBABWEAN 
ELECTION PROCESS, WHILE SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM ENDORSES MUGABE VICTORY 
 
THE "SO-CALLED" INDEPENDENT 
MEDIA FOR DEMONSTRATING BIAS TOWARD THE MDC AND THE STATE MEDIA FOR 
LIMITING ITS COVERAGE OF THE OPPOSITION.  HE DID NOT HAVE KIND 
WORDS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, WHICH HE SAID HAD BEEN 
"OVERWHELMINGLY" BIASED IN FAVOR OF THE MDC. 
 
4.  (U) THE STATEMENT SOFTENED CONSIDERABLY FROM THAT POINT. 
MOTSUENYANE DESCRIBED AS "UNFORTUNATE" THE FACT THAT SOME VOTERS IN 
HARARE AND CHITUNGWIZA HAD BEEN TURNED AWAY FROM POLLING STATIONS, 
BUT HE ATTRIBUTED THIS TO "ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT," AN 
EXPLANATION WHICH ELICITED GUFFAWS FROM THE ASSEMBLED CROWD. 
MOTSUENYANE SAID HIS DELEGATION HAD BEEN HEARTENED BY THE MDC'S 
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE CAMPAIGN AND BY THE "BIG" TURNOUT, 
FACTORS WHICH HAD "LEGITIMIZED" THE PROCESS.  HE DESCRIBED THE 
OUTCOME AS A LEGITIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE WILL OF THE ZIMBABWEAN 
PEOPLE AND CALLED ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ACCEPT THEIR 
VERDICT.  MOTSUENYANE'S LISTENERS WERE CLEARLY DUMBFOUNDED AT HIS 
PRONOUNCEMENT OF LEGITIMACY, AND LET OUT A COLLECTIVE GROAN. 
 
TENSE Q & A SESSION 
------------------- 
 
5.  (U) THE Q & A SESSION WHICH FOLLOWED BORDERED ON HOSTILE, AS 
BOTH LOCAL AND FOREIGN JOURNALISTS SUBJECTED MOTSUENYANE AND THE 
ACCOMPANYING MEMBERS OF HIS TEAM TO RIGOROUS QUESTIONING, 
SOMETIMES LAUGHING OUT LOUD AT THEIR RESPONSES.  AN AUSTRALIAN 
JOURNALIST NOTED THAT A RANGE OF WELL-RESPECTED CIVIL SOCIETY 
ORGANIZATIONS HAD PROVIDED AMPLE DOCUMENTATION OF THE SERIOUSLY 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00665  02 OF 02  131648Z 
FLAWED ELECTION PROCESS, ASKED WHETHER THE SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION 
HAD MET WITH THEM AND, IF SO, HAD THOSE ORGANIZATIONS BEEN LYING OR 
HALLUCINATING?  ONE QUESTIONER ASKED MOTSUENYANE TO ELABORATE ON 
THE "ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHTS" THAT HAD PREVENTED VOTERS IN HARARE 
AND CHITUNGWIZA FROM CASTING BALLOTS, WHILE ANOTHER INQUIRED 
POINTEDLY WHETHER THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATEMENT SERVED THE ZIMBABWEAN 
PEOPLE WELL.  AN INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION REPORTER DECLARED THAT 
THE SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION APPEARED TO BE ENDORSING THE EXISTENCE OF 
LOWER STANDARDS FOR DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA.  ASKED DIRECTLY WHO WAS 
RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE VIOLENCE, MOTSUENYANE SIMPLY REFUSED TO 
BE DRAWN ON THAT QUESTION. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6.  (C) THE SADC-PF ASSESSMENT WAS APPROPRIATELY CRITICAL AND 
PROVIDED AMPLE DETAILS ON THE NUMEROUS FLAWS IN THE ELECTION 
PROCESS, WHILE CAREFULLY AVOIDING CONFERRING ANY LEGITIMACY ON THE 
OUTCOME.  THEY DID NOT PULL ANY PUNCHES AND STATED EXPLICITLY THAT 
MDC SUPPORTERS WERE THE PREDOMINANT VICTIMS -- NOT THE PERPETRATORS 
-- OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE.  WE EXPECT THE GOZ WILL IGNORE THE 
INDICTMENT FROM REGIONAL PARLIAMENTARIANS AND, INSTEAD, FOCUS ON 
THE "ENDORSEMENT" FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM, WHOSE PERFORMANCE, 
FRANKLY, WE FOUND EMBARRASSING.  MANY ZIMBABWEANS ARE PROFOUNDLY 
DISAPPOINTED -- BUT NOT SURPRISED -- BY THE STATEMENT FROM THE 
SOUTH AFRICANS, WHOM THEY HAD VIEWED AS THE ONLY REGIONAL COUNTRY 
CAPABLE OF PROTECTING THEM FROM THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.  A SOUTH 
AFRICAN CIVIC ACTIVIST WHO WORKS CLOSELY WITH AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 
IN THE REGION TOLD ME AFTERWARD THAT HE WAS DEEPLY EMBARRASSED BY 
THE SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM'S ASSESSMENT.  MOTSUENYANE EMPHASIZED 
SEVERAL TIMES THAT HIS DELEGATION'S REPORT WAS ONLY "INTERIM," BUT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00665  02 OF 02  131648Z 
HIS TEAM HAS ALREADY CONFERRED ON MUGABE PRECISELY WHAT HE WAS 
COUNTING ON -- RECOGNITION BY SADC'S ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL 
HEAVYWEIGHT OF THE LEGITIMACY OF HIS ELECTION VICTORY. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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