US embassy cable - 02HARARE1092

UNCLAS HARARE 001092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND 
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, KPAO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT FRENCH ELECTION; HARARE 
 
 
1.   Under headline "Chirac's massive victory: The 
   lesson for African leaders" the independent daily "The 
   Daily News" dedicated its May 7 editorial to hailing 
   French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac's resounding 
   defeat of Jean-Marie Le Pen in Sunday's run-off as a 
   "reaffirmation" of the dangers of political extremism. 
   Excerpts: 
 
2.   ".Jacques Chirac's massive victory over the racist 
   Jean-Marie Le Pen was welcomed with the same Phew! by 
   many Africans in Francophone Africa as the headline 
   used in one French newspaper. 
 
   ".What the people of France did, albeit spurred by 
   a fear of what the rest of Europe would think of 
   them, was a reaffirmation of their commitment to 
   freedom for all people, whatever their race and 
   whatever their origins.  But for African leaders 
   the lesson should be quite clear: Europe will not 
   always drive the Le Pens in their midst into 
   political wilderness.  When the chips are really 
   down and their economies are pushed against the 
   wall, some of the Europeans might vote for the 
   racists.  Africans must get rid of their greedy 
   leaders, by any means, before they accept the 
   humiliation of being economic refugees." 
 
SULLIVAN