US embassy cable - 02HARARE932

UNCLAS HARARE 000932 
 
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: ELECTION AFTERMATH: ZANU PF - MDC 
TALKS; HARARE 
 
 
1.   Under headline "ZANU PF is not sincere in pursuing 
   party 
   talks," the independent "Daily News" dedicated its April 
   15 editorial to urging the negotiating teams in the 
   recently opened talks between the opposition MDC and the 
   ruling ZANU PF to come up with "a time frame" to 
   determine the range of the talks.  Excerpts: 
 
2.   ". . .If the talks between ZANU PF and the opposition 
   Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), are expected to 
   make any meaningful and significant progress, there must 
   be a time frame within which some agreement must be 
   reached.  Without this stipulation, ZANU PF will 
   continue to string the MDC along, because it is in its 
   interests to be seen to be talking.  The idea, as far as 
   ZANU PF is concerned, is to seek to prolong its grip on 
   power, while staving off implementation of international 
   measures, such as smart sanctions, against this 
   country's ruling elite.  As long as the talks appear to 
   be in progress, the international community will be duty- 
   bound to stay any action until an outcome.  It is 
   imperative, therefore, that President Thabo Mbeki of 
   South Africa and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria demand a 
   conclusion to the talks between ZANU PF and the MDC 
   within a certain period, in order to inject some sense 
   of purpose.  As far as ZANU PF is concerned, it would be 
   happy to continue engaging the MDC in talks for the next 
   six years. . . ." 
 
WHITEHEAD