US embassy cable - 02HARARE666

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000666 
 
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 
 
 
1.   WITH VOTE COUNTING UNDER WAY IN ZIMBABWE, 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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   EDITORIALS PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 12 EDITIONS OF THE 
   THREE DAILIES IN THE COUNTRY DISCUSS CONCEIVABLE END 
   RESULTS OF THE JUST ENDED PRESIDENTIAL POLL.  EXCERPTS: 
 
2.   UNDER HEADLINE "WHITES' ACTIONS DESPICABLE," THE 
   GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" (03/12) 
   COMMENTS: 
 
   "WHITE PEOPLE IN ZIMBABWE WENT FOR BROKE DURING THE 
   PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AS THEY PUSHED FOR AN 
   UNLIKELY MDC VICTORY. . .  THE SAME RACISTS WHO 
   HAVE ALWAYS SEEN BLACKS AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS 
   WERE DURING THE ELECTION TRYING HARD TO JOIN HANDS 
   WITH BLACKS, SOMETHING THEY HAVE RESISTED FOR A 
   LONG TIME.  WHAT HAS CHANGED SO DRAMATICALLY TO SEE 
   WHITE PEOPLE NOT ONLY STANDING IN LONG QUEUES TO 
   VOTE BUT TRYING TO COERCE OTHER PEOPLE INTO VOTING 
   FOR THE OPPOSITION MDC?  THE ANSWER IS ALL TOO 
   OBVIOUS.  THEY ARE ONLY PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL 
   POLITICS TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS.  THEY WANT TO 
   HANG ON TO THE VAST FARMS WHILE BLACKS REMAIN 
   CRAMMED ON SMALL PIECES OF FRAGILE LAND. . .  THE 
   WATERSHED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROVIDED 
   ZIMBABWEANS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE A LEADER 
   WHO WILL GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL RECLAIM THEIR 
   BIRTHRIGHT.  PRESIDENT MUGABE THROUGHOUT HIS 
   CAMPAIGN PERIOD TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT LAND WILL BE 
   EQUITABLY REDISTRIBUTED FOR ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENCE 
   TO BE COMPLETE.  THE MDC, FUNDED BY WHITES AND 
   WESTERN BACKERS, ON THE OTHER HAND WANTS TO RETURN 
   ACQUIRED LAND TO WHITE PEOPLE, HENCE THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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   DETERMINATION BY WHITE PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THEIR 
   PARTY WINS.  THEY ARE IN FOR A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT 
   AS THEIR NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES INFURIATED THE 
   MAJORITY OF VOTERS.  THEIR PUPPET WILL NOT WIN." 
 
3.   UNDER HEADLINE "WIDENING RURAL-URBAN GAP AN EVIL 
   POLITICAL PLOY," THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY 
   NEWS"  (03/12) COMMENTS: 
 
   ". . .ZANU PF HAS TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO CURRY 
   FAVOR WITH THE RURAL FOLK BY PUBLICLY DEMEANING THE 
   URBAN DWELLER, GOING TO THE EXTENT OF ACCUSING THEM 
   OF HAVING CONTRIBUTED FAR LESS TO THE LIBERATION 
   STRUGGLE THAN THE RURAL FOLK.  THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO 
   ACHIEVE THIS CAME WITH THE CHAOTIC LAND REFORM 
   PROGRAM WITH WHICH THE PARTY SEEMS DETERMINED TO 
   TURN THE COUNTRY INTO ONE VAST VILLAGE.  FOR THAT, 
   ZANU PF EXPECTS THE RURAL FOLK TO REWARD IT WITH A 
   RESOUNDING VOTE FOR ITS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, 
   ROBERT MUGABE.  BY THE DUBIOUS CALCULATIONS OF THE 
   PARTY POLLSTERS, MUGABE WILL WIN BECAUSE THERE ARE 
   MORE REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE RURAL AREAS THAN IN 
   THE URBAN AREAS.  THE THEORY IS THAT BECAUSE ZANU 
   PF HAS ALWAYS CONSIDERED THE RURAL AREAS ITS 
   BEDROCK OF SUPPORT, MUGABE IS AS GOOD AS HOME AND 
   DRY. . .  IT WOULD BE VERY DISTURBING IF THE RURAL 
   FOLK FELT THEY OWED MUGABE THE VOTE BECAUSE OF THE 
   LAND REFORM PROGRAM.  WE DOUBT THAT THEY COULD BE 
   SO SIMPLE MINDED. . .  ZANU PF'S ALMOST EVIL DESIGN 
   IS TO DIVIDE THE PEOPLE ALONG THEIR SOCIAL STATUS, 
   TO HAVE THE RURAL FOLK DESPISE THEIR URBAN COUSINS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00666  01 OF 02  140606Z 
   AS PUPPETS OF TONY BLAIR, THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS, 
   THE TRADE UNIONS AND THE MDC.  YET THE TRUTH, WHICH 
   WE KNOW THE RURAL FOLK ARE AWARE OF, IS THAT ZANU 
   PF HAS FAILED TO DEVELOP THIS COUNTRY, INCLUDING 
   THE RURAL AREAS, TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL.  NOW IT IS 
   USING MURDER, RAPE AND VIOLENCE TO INTIMIDATE THE 
   PEOPLE INTO VOTING FOR IT.  AS ONE, THE PEOPLE ARE 
   BOUND TO REJECT THIS PARTY OF VIOLENCE AND LIES. 
   IF ZANU PF ATTEMPTS TO STEAL THE ELECTION, ALL THE 
   PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE RURAL FOLK, CANNOT POSSIBLY 
   STAND IDLY BY." 
 
4.   UNDER HEADLINE "THE EU MUST NOT CHOOSE LEADERS FOR 
   US," THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY 
   "CHRONICLE" (03/12) COMMENTS: 
 
   "AS THE NATION ANXIOUSLY WAITS FOR THE RESULTS OF 
   THE 'WATERSHED' PRESIDENTIAL POLLS, THE EUROPEAN 
   UNION (EU) HAS DEMONSTRATED WHY IT IS NOW BEING 
   REFERRED TO AS THE 'ERRING UNION' BY TELLING THE 
   WORLD WHO THEY WANT TO WIN THE ELECTIONS.  TO THE 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ2052 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00666  02 OF 02  140606Z 
ACTION INR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AF-00    A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00 
      DS-00    EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  LAB-01   VCE-00 
      NSAE-00  TEST-00  USIE-00  IIP-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00 
      SAS-00     /003W 
                  ------------------74456F  140607Z /38 
P 140556Z MAR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1202 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000666 
 
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: OCII, ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE 
 
   BLUNDERING EU, THE POLL WILL NOT BE FREE AND FAIR 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00666  02 OF 02  140606Z 
   IF WON BY ANYBODY WHO IS NOT THEIR FAVORED 
   CANDIDATE. . .  IF THAT 'WINNER' DOES NOT TURN OUT 
   TO BE ANYONE THEY HAVE IN MIND, THEN THEY WILL 
   IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWE. 
   . .  BY IMPOSING SANCTIONS, THE EU IS TELLING 
   ZIMBABWEANS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO 
   WITH US. . .  IF THEIR (EU'S) INTENTIONS WERE NOBLE 
   AND ABOVE BOARD, THE ERRING UNION SHOULD HAVE 
   WAITED FOR THE RESULTS OF THE 9 AND 10 MARCH POLLS 
   AND THEN MAKE WHATEVER 'RESOLUTIONS' BASED ON THE 
   RESULTS AND REPORTS FROM THE VARIOUS REGIONAL AND 
   INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS.  WAITING HAS NEVER BEEN 
   THE WHITE MAN'S FAVORITE GAME.  THEY JUST HAVE TO 
   PILE 'PRESSURE' AND GRAB EVERYTHING NO MATTER WHAT. 
   BY COMING WITH THESE 'THREATS' BEFORE ANYTHING HAS 
   AN INKLING OF THE RESULTS, THEY ARE TELLING US THAT 
   IT'S THE EU THAT WANTS PRESIDENT MUGABE OUT AND NOT 
   THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE. . .  IN FACT THE EU AND 
   THEIR COUSINS IN THE UNITED STATES, HAVE BEEN 
   TRYING TO TELL THE VOTING PUBLIC NOT TO VOTE FOR A 
   LEADER OF THEIR CHOICE.  THEY WANTED THE PEOPLE OF 
   ZIMBABWE TO GO FOR THEIR PUPPET. . .  IN THEIR 
   DEMENTED MINDS, ELECTIONS CAN ONLY BE 'FREE AND 
   FAIR' WHEN THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATE WINS THEM. 
   THEY TRIED IT IN ZAMBIA BUT FAILED DISMALLY. 
   INDICATIONS ARE THAT THEY HAVE FAILED IN ZIMBABWE. 
   . .  WE WANT TO MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT WHOEVER 
   THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT FOR 
   SIX YEARS, NEVER MIND WHAT THE EU AND THE COWBOYS 
   AT WHITE HOUSE SAY. . . ." 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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