US embassy cable - 02HARARE667

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000667 
 
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 ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE 
 
 
1.   UNDER HEADLINE "GOVERNMENT DESPERATE TO WIN 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00667  01 OF 02  140608Z 
   ELECTION BY ANY MEANS," THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE 
   DAILY NEWS" DEDICATED ITS MARCH 13 EDITORIAL TO 
   CRITICIZING REGIONAL OBSERVERS FOR BEING PARTISAN IN 
   THE JUST ENDED PRESIDENTIAL POLL.  EXCERPTS: 
 
   "THE VERIFICATION OF THE BALLOT BOXES AND PAPERS 
   BEGAN YESTERDAY, BUT IT WAS MERELY THE BEGINNING OF 
   AN EXERCISE IN CONFIRMING THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE 
   WEEKEND PRESIDENTIAL POLL WAS FLAWED.  JUST ABOUT 
   EVERYTHING REGARDING THIS ELECTION PROCESS - 
   OBSERVERS INCLUDED - HAS BEEN FLAWED.  CURIOUSLY 
   ALL THE OBSERVER MISSIONS THAT WERE FAVORED BY THE 
   STATE MEDIA PROCLAIMED THE PROCESS FREE AND FAIR, 
   EVEN IN THE FACE OF THEIR OWN COLLEAGUES BEING 
   ATTACKED. . .  IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESCAPE THE 
   CONCLUSION THAT THESE GROUPS OF OBSERVERS WERE 
   INSTRUCTED BY THE RULING PARTIES OR THEIR 
   GOVERNMENTS TO PRONOUNCE FREE AND FAIR, WHEN THEY 
   SET OUT FOR HARARE.  IN THE CASE OF THE SOUTH 
   AFRICAN OBSERVER DELEGATION. . . SUCH A VIEW WOULD 
   BE PROMOTED BY A BELIEF THAT PRONOUNCING A 'STOLEN 
   ELECTION' IN ZIMBABWE WILL RESULT IN A CRISIS OF 
   THE TYPE WITNESSED IN MADAGASCAR AND A FLOOD OF 
   PEOPLE FLEEING TO SOUTH AFRICA.  IT WOULD BE IN THE 
   INTEREST OF SOUTH AFRICA NOT TO CONDEMN THE PROCESS 
   AND, THEREFORE, CONTAIN THE LIKELIHOOD OF FALLOUT. 
   A SECOND CONSIDERATION THAT LEADS TO THE ASSUMPTION 
   THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN OBSERVER MISSION APPEARS TO 
   BE ACTING ON THE INSTRUCTION OF THE AFRICAN 
   NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) OF SOUTH AFRICA IS THE 
   COMPARISON OF THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IN THAT COUNTRY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00667  01 OF 02  140608Z 
   TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ZIMBABWE. . .  IN CONTRAST, 
   HOWEVER, THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) AMBASSADORS HAVE 
   IDENTIFIED VIOLENCE AND THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO 
   CHEAT ITS WAY TO AN ELECTORAL VICTORY AND DECLARED 
   'THE OPPOSITION DID NOT HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY WITH 
   THE GOVERNMENT, VOTERS DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT 
   ACCESS TO POLLING STATIONS, AND THERE WAS NOT 
   ENOUGH MONITORING.'  THE OPPOSITION HAS HAD TO 
   FIGHT EVERY INCH OF THIS ELECTORAL MILE, THAT IT 
   WOULD BE EMBARRASSING FOR ANYONE OF ANY PROBITY NO 
   TO HAVE NOTICED HOW FLAWED THIS EXERCISE WAS. . 
   .THE GOVERNMENT HAS SHOWN ITS DETERMINATION TO WIN 
   THIS ELECTION BY HOOK OR CROOK. . . ." 
 
2.   UNDER HEADLINE "PROPHETS OF DOOM PUT TO SHAME," 
   THE 
   GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" DEDICATED 
   THE MARCH 13 EDITORIAL TO CRITICIZE THE UNITED 
   STATES GOVERNMENT FOR WANTING TO INTERFERE IN 
   ZIMBABWE'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS.  EXCERPTS FOLLOW: 
 
   "AGAINST ALL ODDS, ZIMBABWEANS TURNED OUT IN THEIR 
   THOUSANDS TO VOTE IN THE THREE-DAY PRESIDENTIAL 
   POLL. . .  THE PROPHETS OF DOOM, WHO WERE 
   PREDICTING VIOLENCE AND MAYHEM DURING THE ACTUAL 
   VOTING PROCESS, HAVE BEEN PUT TO SHAME AS 
   ZIMBABWEANS CONDUCTED THEMSELVES IN A MOST 
   EXEMPLARY MANNER.  ALMOST THE ENTIRE WESTERN WORLD 
   WAS BANKING ON A CATASTROPHE HAPPENING IN ZIMBABWE 
   WITH DEAD BODIES LITTERING THE STREETS, GUN-TOTING 
   MILITIAS PATROLLING THE SUBURBS AND A STATE OF 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00667  01 OF 02  140608Z 
   EMERGENCY PREVAILING IN THE COUNTRY.  HOWEVER, THE 
   HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER STORY HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A 
   DAMP SQUIB AS ZIMBABWEANS HAVE DEMONSTRATED A 
   MATURE DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION.  THERE WAS A LOT OF 
   ANTICIPATION THAT THE CLOSER OF POLLING ON MONDAY 
   NIGHT BEFORE SOME PEOPLE HAD VOTED, AFTER THE 
   EXTENSION, WOULD TRIGGER AN ORGY OF VIOLENCE.  BUT 
   THAT FAILED TO MATERIALIZE, FURTHER DAMPENING THE 
   EXPECTATIONS OF BRITAIN, THE U. S. AND THE EU, 
   AMONG OTHERS, WHO HAVE BEEN DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR 
   AN EXCUSE TO DISCREDIT ZIMBABWE'S ELECTION.  THE 
   AMERICANS EVEN WENT TO THE EXTENT OF ISSUING TWO SO- 
   CALLED STRONG WARNINGS AGAINST THE RULING ZANU PF 
   GOVERNMENT FOR THE ALLEGED DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF 
   URBAN VOTERS AND THE QUESTIONING OF SOME AMERICAN 
   DIPLOMATS BY THE POLICE.  THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO 
   BASIS FOR ISSUING SUCH WARNINGS EXCEPT WHAT WE SEE 
   AS A NAKED ATTEMPT TO CREATE A SITUATION.  THIS 
   ALSO REVEALS GROWING DESPERATION BY THE WEST AS IT 
   FAILS TO INFLUENCE EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE. . .IT IS 
   INDEED AN INSULT TO ALL ZIMBABWEANS TO BE TOLD WHAT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ2056 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00667  02 OF 02  140608Z 
ACTION INR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AF-00    A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00  USNW-00 
      DODE-00  DS-00    EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  LAB-01 
      VCE-00   DCP-01   NSAE-00  IRM-00   TEST-00  USIE-00  EPAE-00 
      IIP-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00  SAS-00     /004W 
                  ------------------74459C  140608Z /38 
P 140558Z MAR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1204 
INFO NSC WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000667 
 
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 ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE 
 
   TO DO BY THE AMERICANS WHOSE OWN ELECTIONS LEFT A 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00667  02 OF 02  140608Z 
   LOT TO BE DESIRED AND COULD NEVER STAND ANYWHERE IN 
   THE WORLD AS A MODEL OF DEMOCRACY OR FREE AND FAIR 
   ELECTIONS.  WE ALSO FIND OBJECTIONABLE THE UNITED 
   STATES' THREAT AGAINST ZIMBABWE FOLLOWING THE 
   QUESTIONING OF AMERICAN DIPLOMATS. . .ARE THEY 
   INSINUATING THAT AMERICAN DIPLOMATS ARE GODS WHO 
   CANNOT BE QUESTIONED EVEN IF THEY ARE SUSPECTED OF 
   BREAKING THE LAW?  WE THINK NOT.  WHAT THIS SIMPLY 
   SHOWS IS THAT THE WESTERN WORLD IS UNASHAMEDLY 
   TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT WITH THE ZIMBABWEAN 
   GOVERNMENT BUT HAS SO FAR FAILED TO FIND ANY 
   JUSTIFIABLE REASON TO DO SO.  THAT IS WHY THEY ARE 
   CLUTCHING AT ALMOST ANYTHING, NO MATTER HOW 
   TRIVIAL, TO THREATEN THE COUNTRY.  THE TURNOUT IN 
   THIS ELECTION HAS SENT CLEAR SIGNALS TO THE WESTERN 
   WORLD THAT ZIMBABWE IS NOT A COLONY AND WILL NOT BE 
   SWAYED BY SUCH BLATANT THREATS.  IN DENIGRATING THE 
   ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT THE WESTERN WORLD DOES NOT 
   SEEM TO REALIZE IS THAT IT DIRECTLY INSULTING THE 
   PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE.  THAT IS WHY THEY HAVE TURNED 
   OUT IN THEIR HUGE NUMBERS TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT 
   THEY CANNOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED AND WILL STAND BY 
   THEIR LEADERSHIP, WHICH THEY VOTED INTO POWER TO 
   LEAD AND GUIDE THEM." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
>