NEW ELECTIONS FOR ZIMBABWE'S UMBRELLA LABOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001054 SIPDIS DRL/IL FOR KBRYANT NSC FOR JFRAZER ILAB FOR RSHEPHARD LONDON FOR CGURNEY PARIS FOR BWILLIAMS NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER PASS USAID FOR AFR/SD - DWELLER, AFR/SA - CPALMA, NNEWMAN, AA/AFR - VDICKSON-HORTON E.O. 12958: DECL 03/19/11 TAGS: ELAB PGOV PHUM PINR SUBJECT: NEW ELECTIONS FOR ZIMBABWE'S UMBRELLA LABOR ORGANIZATION NOT LIKELY. CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES EARL M. IRVING FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D). ¶1. (SBU) THE MARCH 18 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ)-CONTROLLED "THE SUNDAY MAIL" RAN A FRONT- PAGE STORY STATING THAT THE JUST-ELECTED LEADERSHIP OF THE ZIMBABWE CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (ZCTU), ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENT UMBRELLA LABOR ORGANIZATION, WAS BEING PRESSURED TO HOLD NEW ELECTIONS BECAUSE OF IRREGULARITIES AT ITS FEBRUARY 23-24 FIVE-YEAR CONGRESS. NO OTHER NEWS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE REPORTED ON THIS ALLEGED DEVELOPMENT. THE ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES ARE NOT RELATED TO THE ELECTION OF THE NEW ZCTU NATIONAL LEADERSHIP. RATHER, THE IRREGULARITIES ARE THAT THE JUST-COMPLETED CONGRESS FAILED TO CONFIRM OR REJECT AMENDMENTS AND CORRECTIONS MADE TO THE ZCTU CONSTITUTION AT THE 1995 CONGRESS. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, 15 OF THE 32 UNIONS AFFILIATED TO THE ZCTU ARE NOW CLAIMING THAT THE ELECTIONS OF THE NEW LEADERSHIP ARE NULLIFIED, AND DEMANDING THAT NEW ELECTIONS BE HELD. ¶2. (C) LABOFF, THOUGH UNABLE TO REACH ANYONE AT THE ZCTU, DID TALK WITH GEBRE GEBREMARIAM (PROTECT),THE AMCIT REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AFL-CIO SOLIDARITY CENTER IN HARARE, WHO MAINTAINS CLOSE TIES WITH THE ZCTU LEADERSHIP. GEBREMARIAM STATED THAT THE ARTICLE WAS, TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, GOZ PROPAGANDA AIMED AT DISCREDITING THE NEW ZCTU EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP (WHOSE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 01054 191807Z MEMBERS ALL SUPPORT THE OPPOSITION MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE). HE OPINED THAT THE ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE, EVEN IF TRUE, WOULD NOT NECESSITATE THE HOLDING OF NEW ELECTIONS FOR THE ZCTU LEADERSHIP. HE WAS ALSO VERY SKEPTICAL THAT 15 OF THE 32 AFFILIATED UNIONS DESIRED THAT NEW ELECTIONS BE HELD. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: "THE SUNDAY MAIL" ARTICLE DEFINITELY SMACKS OF A GOZ/ZANU-PF PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN TO DISCREDIT THE NEW ZCTU LEADERSHIP. THE ZCTU IS A MAJOR PLAYER IN ZIMBABWE POLITICS, AND COULD HOLD A VERY INFLUENTIAL, IF NOT DECISIVE, ROLE IN THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. THE GOZ/ZANU-PF ARE STILL FUMING THAT, HAVING FUNDED THE PAYMENT OF BACK-DUES OF UNIONS TO THE ZCTU AND, ALLEGEDLY, BRIBING INDIVIDUAL UNION DELEGATES IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE THE ZCTU ELECTIONS, NOT ONE PRO- ZANU-PF CANDIDATE WAS ELECTED TO THE ZCTU LEADERSHIP. THEY WOULD DEARLY LOVE TO HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT GAINING CONTROL OF THE ZCTU, AND THE HOLDING OF NEW ELECTIONS FOR THE ZCTU LEADERSHIP WOULD PRESENT THIS OPPORTUNITY. WHILE "THE SUNDAY MAIL" ARTICLE IS THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT FORCING NEW ELECTIONS, WE STRONGLY DOUBT IT WILL BE THE LAST. END COMMENT. IRVING CONFIDENTIAL >