US embassy cable - 02HARARE1139

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MEDIA REACTION ZIM/FRENCH ELECTIONS; HARARE

Identifier: 02HARARE1139
Wikileaks: View 02HARARE1139 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2002-05-13 11:41:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: ZI PREL PHUM
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 
UNCLAS HARARE 001139 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER, 
AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM/FRENCH ELECTIONS; HARARE 
 
 
1.   Under headline "Europe's double standards exposed" the 
   government-controlled weekly "The Sunday Mail" dedicated 
   its May 12 editorial to stating that circumstances 
   surrounding the outcome of the French election are no 
   different from the disputed presidential poll in Zimbabwe. 
   Excerpts: 
 
   ". . .The just-ended presidential elections in France 
   made it very clear for everyone to see Europe's double 
   standards.  In the elections. . .President Chirac won 
   over 82 percent of the votes against Le Pen's 18 
   percent.  What is interesting in the elections is the 
   way the whole of Europe united in making sure that Le 
   Pen loses the elections.  Even the French media united 
   in making sure that Le Pen, who they consider to be 
   threat to their country's interests, loses the 
   elections. 
 
   ". . .By fighting to make sure that Le Pen loses, the 
   people of France were defending their country's 
   interests and what they did is exactly what the people 
   of Zimbabwe did when they voted for President Mugabe. . 
   .   Mr. Tsvangirai is Zimbabwe's version of France's Le 
   Pen.  While the French describe Le Pen as a 'xenophobic 
   candidate,' Zimbabweans describe Mr. Tsvangirai as a 
   'sellout. . .'  It has been said before that Americans 
   would not salute Osama Bin Laden if he wins elections in 
   their country and surely there is nothing wrong when 
   Zimbabweans say a British-sponsored party will never 
   rule in Zimbabwe. . ." 
 
SULLIVAN 

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