IRI AND NDI OBSERVER DELEGATIONS FACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 003168

SIPDIS

CORRECTED COPY OF HARARE 3167, RIGHT MARGIN

AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND C. GURNEY
NSC FOR GAYLE SMITH
PASS USAID FOR A/AID RMCALL AND AFR/SA WJEFFERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/10
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: IRI AND NDI OBSERVER DELEGATIONS FACE
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PROBLEMS OVER ACCREDITATION

REF: HARARE 3098

CLASSIFIED BY EARL M. IRVING, DCM. REASONS: 1.5
(B) AND (D).


1. (U) THIS MESSAGE CONTAINS AN ACTION REQUEST;
SEE PARAS 8-10.


2. (C) SUMMARY: OBSERVER DELEGATIONS FROM THE
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) AND
INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE (IRI) ARE
FACING BUREAUCRATIC HURDLES THAT SO FAR HAVE
PREVENTED THEM FROM RECEIVING ACCREDITATION FROM
THE GOZ. BOTH GROUPS HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY WILL
HAVE TO REASSESS HOW TO PROCEED IF THEY DO NOT
RECEIVE ACCREDITATION SOON. THE PROBLEMS STEM
FROM NEW ELECTORAL REGULATIONS (REFTEL) THAT
APPARENTLY PROVIDE NO MECHANISM FOR ACCREDITATION
OF FOREIGN NGO'S. A SENIOR MFA OFFICIAL, WHO WAS
AWARE OF THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL STATUS OF THE
IRI/NDI TEAMS, SUGGESTED TO DCM THAT THEY COULD
RECEIVE ACCREDITATION IF THE EMBASSY INCLUDED THE
GROUPS IN A DIPLOMATIC NOTE LISTING THEM AS
OFFICIAL USG OBSERVERS. HOWEVER, THIS POSES A
NUMBER OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR BOTH THE USG AND
NOI/IRI, INCLUOING THE FACT THAT THE USG WOULD BE
IOENTIFIED WITH THE GROUPS' CONCLUSIONS. OTHER
POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE RAISING THE ISSUE WITH THE
ELECTION DIRECTORATE (TO WHICH MFA IS REFERRING
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NGO APPLICATIONS) AND OTHER RELEVANT OFFICIALS,
AND A USG ASSESSMENT THAT IT IS TOO LATE FOR
FURTHER INTERVENTION. EMBASSY REQUESTS
DEPARTMENT'S GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PROCEED. END
SUMMARY.

NEW REGULATIONS COMPLICATE ACCREDITATION


3. (C) THE PUBLICATION OF NEW REGULATIONS
SETTING OUT ACCREDITATION PROCEDURES FOR ELECTION
OBSERVERS (REFTEL),AND THE LACK OF CLEAR
INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE GOVERNMENT ON HOW TO COMPLY
WITH THEM, HAVE CREATED CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION ON
THE PART OF INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS ATTEMPTING TO
OBTAIN ACCREDITATION. MONITORING TEAMS DIRECTLY
AFFILIATED WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AND
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE 150-
STRONG EU OBSERVER MISSION, FACE A CUMBERSOME BUT
RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD PROCESS. THEY ARE
REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THE NAMES OF THEIR TEAM
MEMBERS UNDER COVER OF A DIPLOMATIC NOTE, RECEIVE
APPROVAL FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, AND THEN
APPLY TO THE ELECTION DIRECTORATE (AN INTER-
GOVERNMENTAL BODY WHICH OVERSEES THE
ACCREDITATION OFFICE) FOR CREDENTIALS. EU
ACCREDITATION IS APPARENTLY PROCEEDING FAIRLY
SMOOTHLY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SEVERAL KENYANS,
WHOSE ELIGIBILITY TO TAKE PART IN THE DELEGATION
THE GOZ HAS QUESTIONED.


4. (C) HOWEVER, THERE IS APPARENTLY NO PROCEDURE
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IN PLACE FOR REGISTRATION OF INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVER TEAMS WHICH ARE NOT OFFICIAL DELEGATIONS
OF GOVERNMENTS, MISSIONS, OR INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS. THIS INCLUDES THE NDI/IRI TEAMS,
WHICH ARE FUNDED BY USAID. (NOTE: THERE IS A
PROCEDURE FOR REGISTRATION OF DOMESTIC NGO'S, BUT
IT IS ONLY OPEN TO ZIMBABWEAN CITIZENS. END
NOTE.) WHEN IRI AND NDI REPORTED TO THE FOREIGN
MINISTRY FOR ACCREDITATION ON JUNE 12, THEY WERE
TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER
UNLESS THE EMBASSY SENT A LETTER INCLUDING THE
NAMES OF ALL AMERICAN OBSERVERS, INCLUDING THE
NDI/IRI TEAMS. THE EMBASSY CALLED THE FOREIGN
MINISTRY SEVERAL TIMES THAT DAY IN AN ATTEMPT TO
CLARIFY THE ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS, AND
RECEIVED A NUMBER OF CONTRADICTORY RESPONSES.

DISCUSSION WITH MFA


5. (C) DCM AND POLOFF CALLED ON DR. NGONI
CHIDEYA, DIRECTOR OF THE MFA'S OFFICE ON EUROPE
AND THE AMERICAS, ON JUNE 13 TO ASK HOW THE
NDI/IRI TEAM'S ACCREDITATION COULD BE
FACILITATED. CHIDEYA SAID THAT THE FOREIGN
MINISTRY WAS ONLY AUTHORIZED TO APPROVE

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 COR-01 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-01 ACQ-00 CIAE-00
SMEC-00 DODE-00 ANHR-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01
NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/011W
-------------- 6258AA 131651Z /38
O 131655Z JUN 00
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6312
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HARARE 003168

SIPDIS

CORRECTED COPY OF HARARE 3167, RIGHT MARGIN

AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND C. GURNEY
NSC FOR GAYLE SMITH
PASS USAID FOR A/AID RMCALL AND AFR/SA WJEFFERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/10
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: IRI AND NDI OBSERVER DELEGATIONS FACE
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PROBLEMS OVER ACCREDITATION

ACCREDITATION FOR DELEGATIONS REPRESENTING THREE
TYPES OF ENTITIES: 1) INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE UNITED NATIONS, SADC,
THE COMMONWEALTH, AND THE OAU, TO WHICH ZIMBABWE
BELONGS, 2) FOREIGN MISSIONS, SUCH AS THE EU,
THAT HAD REQUESTED PERMISSION TO FIELD OBSERVER
MISSIONS, AND 3) GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING BOTSWANA,
SOUTH AFRICA, AND THE UNITED STATES, THAT HAD
BEEN INVITED TO SEND OFFICIAL DELEGATIONS.
(COMMENT: CHIDEYA ASSERTED, INACCURATELY, THAT
THE SECRETARY HAD REQUESTED PERMISSION TO SEND AN
OFFICIAL OBSERVER DELEGATION DURING A RECENT
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT MUGABE, AND
THAT MUGABE HAD AGREED TO THIS REQUEST. END
COMMENT.)


6. (C) MFA, CHIDEYA CONTINUED, HAS NO MECHANISM
FOR ACCREDITING FOREIGN NGO'S. HE NOTED THAT HE
HAD REFERRED, OR WAS PLANNING TO REFER, SEVERAL
SUCH APPLICATIONS FROM NGO'S (INCLUDING ONE FROM
THE FRIEDRICH NAUMANN STIFTUNG, A GERMAN
POLITICAL PARTY-AFFILIATED NGO WITH FUNCTIONS
SIMILAR TO THOSE OF NDI AND IRI) TO THE ELECTION
DIRECTORATE FOR FURTHER ACTION. CHIDEYA
SUGGESTED THAT THE GOZ WOULD BE ABLE TO APPROVE
ACCREDITATION FOR THE NDI/IRI TEAM MEMBERS IF
THEIR NAMES WERE SUBMITTED, ALONG WITH THOSE OF
EMBASSY PERSONNEL PLANNING TO ACT AS OBSERVERS,
UNDER COVER OF A DIPLOMATIC NOTE STATING THAT
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THESE PEOPLE CONSTITUTED AN OFFICIAL USG
DELEGATION. (COMMENT: WE ASSUME THAT THE REASON
THAT DR. CHIDEYA DID NOT REFER NDI AND IRI TO THE
ELECTION DIRECTORATE ALONG WITH OTHER NGO'S WAS
HIS PURPORTED UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WERE PART
OF THE "OFFICIAL" USG DELEGATION. END COMMENT.)

IRI'S AND NDI'S VIEWS


7. (C) DCM AND POLOFFS BRIEFED NDI AND IRI
REPRESENTATIVES ON THE MEETING WITH CHIDEYA JUNE

13. BOTH ORGANIZATIONS TOLD US THAT BEING
PORTRAYED AS AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT DELEGATION
WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW.
BOTH IRI AND NDI TOLD US THAT IF THEY ARE NOT
ABLE TO REGISTER IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO THEY WILL
HAVE TO REASSESS THEIR PLANS. A PARTICULAR WORRY
FOR IRI IS THE GOVERNMENT'S RECENT DECISION TO
SHUT DOWN THE ACCREDITATION CENTER ON JUNE 22.
REGISTRATION IS A TWO-DAY PROCESS, FOR WHICH
OBSERVERS MUST BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT, AND THE IRI
OBSERVERS ARRIVING FROM OVERSEAS ARE NOT
CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE UNTIL JUNE 21.
NDI, FOR ITS PART, IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE
SECURITY OF ITS OBSERVERS, WHO WERE ALREADY IN-
COUNTRY WHEN THE NEW REGULATIONS WERE INTRODUCED.
THE NDI REPRESENTATIVE NOTED THAT THE OBSERVERS'
SECURITY, ALREADY A CONCERN, IS FURTHER
ENDANGERED BY THEIR INABILITY TO OBTAIN
ACCREDITATION. NDI INFORMED US ON THE EVENING OF
JUNE 13 THAT IT HAD RAISED THE ACCREDITATION
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ISSUE WITH THE ELECTION DIRECTORATE, BUT HAD BEEN
REFERRED BACK TO THE FOREIGN MINISTRY.

ACTION REQUEST


8. (C) EMBASSY SEES THREE POSSIBLE WAYS TO
PROCEED WITH THE ACCREDITATION ISSUE, NONE OF
THEM VERY PROMISING: 1) SUBMIT THE NAMES OF THE
IRI/NDI OBSERVERS, AS WELL AS THOSE OF EMBASSY
PERSONNEL ACTING AS OBSERVERS, UNDER COVER OF A
DIPLOMATIC NOTE, POSSIBLY INCLUDING WORDING
CLARIFYING THAT THE IRI AND NDI OBSERVERS ARE NOT
DIRECTLY AFFILIATED WITH THE USG; 2) ATTEMPT TO
INTERVENE WITH DR. NZUWAH OF THE ELECTION
DIRECTORATE, AND WITH OTHER APPROPRIATE
GOVERNMENT INTERLOCUTORS, TO OBTAIN OBSERVER
STATUS FOR IRI/NDI; OR 3) DETERMINE THAT THERE
ARE NO REALISTIC MECHANISMS FOR FURTHER
INTERVENTION BY THE USG ON THE ACCREDITATION
ISSUE.


9. (C) THE FIRST OPTION POSES A NUMBER OF
PROBLEMS, IN EMBASSY'S VIEW. INCLUDING THE
IRI/NDI DELEGATIONS IN A LIST OF U.S. OBSERVER
WOULD PROBABLY GIVE THE GROUP OFFICIAL STATUS IN

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 COR-01 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-01 ACQ-00 CIAE-00
SMEC-00 DODE-00 ANHR-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01
NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/011W
-------------- 6258B4 131651Z /38
O 131655Z JUN 00
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6313
INFO NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HARARE 003168

SIPDIS

CORRECTED COPY OF HARARE 3167, RIGHT MARGIN

AF FOR P/DAS POWELL AND DAS SCHNEIDMAN
AF/S FOR A. RENDER, D. BOOTH, AND C. GURNEY
NSC FOR GAYLE SMITH
PASS USAID FOR A/AID RMCALL AND AFR/SA WJEFFERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/10
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: IRI AND NDI OBSERVER DELEGATIONS FACE
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PAGE 02 HARARE 03168 03 OF 03 131651Z
PROBLEMS OVER ACCREDITATION

THE EYES OF THE GOZ, EVEN IF LANGUAGE IN THE NOTE
CLARIFIED THE GROUP'S INDEPENDENT STATUS. THIS
WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE THE GOZ TO IDENTIFY THE
DELEGATIONS' FINDINGS WITH USG OPINION. (WE NOTE
THAT NDI HAS ALREADY STATED PUBLICLY THAT THE
ELECTIONS CANNOT BE FREE AND FAIR.) FURTHERMORE,
IF THE DIPLOMATIC NOTE DID C
LARIFY THE NON-
OFFICIAL STATUS OF NDI/IRI, IT IS QUITE LIKELY
THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD REFUSE TO ACCREDIT THE
GROUP. DEPARTMENT MAY BE AWARE OF ADDITIONAL
COMPLICATIONS THAT WOULD SURROUND THE
ACCREDITATION OF IRI/NDI AS PART OF AN OFFICIAL
USG OBSERVER MISSION.


10. (C) THE SECOND OPTION IS, IN EMBASSY'S
ASSESSMENT, LESS PROBLEMATIC. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE
ELECTION DIRECTORATE'S NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO NDI,
AND MORE GENERALLY THE APPARENT LACK OF
PROCEDURES IN PLACE ON ACCREDITATION OF
INTERNATIONAL NGO'S BY THE DIRECTORATE, IT IS NOT
AT ALL CLEAR THAT SUCH INTERVENTION WOULD YIELD
PROMPT AND POSITIVE RESULTS. INDEED, THE
ELECTION DIRECTORATE MAY DELAY MAKING A DECISION
UNTIL IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE IRI
OBSERVERS TO BE ACCREDITED IN TIME. THE THIRD
OPTION MAY BE THE MOST REALISTIC, BUT COULD
CREATE AN IMPRESSION THAT THE USG DID NOT DO ALL
IT COULD TO FACILITATE ACCREDITATION FOR IRI/NDI.
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11. (C) EMBASSY REQUESTS DEPARTMENT'S
INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO PROCEED.

MCDONALD

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