IFES TEAM ASKED TO LEAVE ZIMBABWE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002690 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL. 09/13/11 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ZI SUBJECT: IFES TEAM ASKED TO LEAVE ZIMBABWE CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) A WEEK AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL IN ZIMBABWE, A TWO-MEMBER ADVANCE TEAM FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTION SYSTEMS (IFES) WAS ASKED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. IFES AFRICA PROGRAM DIRECTOR TOM BAYER AND SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER LAURIE COOPER ARRIVED IN ZIMBABWE ON SEPTEMBER 5 TO CONDUCT AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION AND ELECTION PREPARATIONS, AND TO CLARIFY THE PARAMETERS OF IFES'S PROPOSED ELECTION OBSERVATION EFFORT. THEY HAD PLANNED TO REMAIN IN ZIMBABWE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15. DESPITE THEIR BEST EFFORTS TO MEET WITH THE KEY GOZ OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE IFES TEAM RAN INTO A BRICK WALL. WHEN BAYER SUBMITTED A LETTER SEEKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH REGISTRAR- GENERAL TOBAIWA MUDEDE, HE RECEIVED A CURT WRITTEN RESPONSE FROM AN UNDERLING DECLINING THE REQUEST TO MEET AND ADDING THAT "WE ...WILL NOT NEED YOUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON ELECTION MATTERS, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF YOUR LAST U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WHICH DEMONSTRATED THE CONTRARY. WE HAVE NOT SEEN AFRICANS INVOLVED IN THE OBSERVATION OF EUROPEAN/AMERICAN ELECTIONS...ZIMBABWE WILL SATISFACTORILY MANAGE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WITHOUT YOUR ASSISTANCE." IN A SUBSEQUENT CHANCE MEETING, MUDEDE BERATED COOPER, TELLING HER THAT THE GOZ WAS FULLY CAPABLE OF RUNNING ITS ELECTIONS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. ¶2. (C) ON SEPTEMBER 11, BAYER WAS VISITED AT HIS HOTEL BY THREE MEN WHO IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION OFFICERS, ONE OF WHOM PRESENTED VERIFYING IDENTIFICATION. THEY ASKED WHAT THE TEAM WAS DOING HERE, WITH WHOM THEY WERE MEETING, AND WHY BAYER AND COOPER THOUGHT IFES ASSISTANCE WAS NEEDED. THE GOZ OFFICIALS REQUESTED THAT BAYER AND COOPER PRESENT THEMSELVES LATER IN THE DAY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION'S HEADQUARTERS. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 02690 131147Z AT THE AFTERNOON MEETING, THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS CITED "WORRY" AND "SKEPTICISM" ABOUT IFES'S ACTIVITIES, PLUS IFES'S ALLEGED LACK OF IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTATION AND FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT NOTICE OF THE TEAM'S ARRIVAL TO RELEVANT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. BAYER AND COOPER WERE TOLD TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AND APPLY FOR A WORK PERMIT UPON THEIR RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES. ASKED WHETHER THE TWO WERE BEING DEPORTED, THE RANKING IMMIGRATION OFFICER SAID "NO." WHEN BAYER INQUIRED WHETHER HE AND COOPER WOULD BE PERMITTED TO RETURN TO ZIMBABWE, THE GOZ OFFICIAL SAID THEY WOULD BE WELCOME TO COME BACK "ON HOLIDAY." ¶3. (C) BAYER TOLD POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF ON SEPTEMBER 13 THAT HE AND COOPER PLANNED TO DEPART ZIMBABWE LATER THAT DAY. IFES, HE SAID, WOULD TAKE THE NEXT WEEK TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE TEAM'S DIFFICULTIES HERE AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOUCH BASE WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND EMBASSY HARARE TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS. BAYER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IFES HAD INITIALLY PREFERRED TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM THE EMBASSY WHILE CONDUCTING ITS ACTIVITIES HERE. HE THOUGHT, HOWEVER, THAT A CHANGE IN TACTICS MIGHT NOW BE NECESSARY, AND THAT THE EMBASSY MIGHT IN THE FUTURE HAVE TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE LIAISON ROLE BETWEEN IFES AND THE GOZ. COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (C) IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THIS IS THE END OF THE ROAD HERE FOR IFES AS AN ORGANIZATION OR THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS AS IFES REPRESENTATIVES. THE GOZ APPEARS TO HAVE DECIDED THAT IT DOES NOT WANT OUTSIDERS (AT LEAST FROM THE WEST) OBSERVING THE RUN-UP TO ELECTIONS, AND WE EXPECT THE GOZ TO TRY TO STYMIE IFES AT EVERY TURN. (N.B. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THIS DECISION IS IRREVOCABLE OR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HARARE 02690 131147Z SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL REGIONAL AND NON-REGIONAL PRESSURES.) WE AGREE WITH BAYER THAT THE EMBASSY WILL NEED TO PLAY A MORE VISIBLE ROLE IN SUPPORTING IFES IN-COUNTRY, INCLUDING KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE INFORMED OF THE TEAM'S PROPOSED ACTIVITIES, IF THEY ARE TO HAVE ANY CHANCE AT SUCCESS. AS A FIRST STEP, WE PLAN TO SEND A TEMPERATE DIPLOMATIC NOTE TO THE GOZ EXPRESSING OUR CONCERN ABOUT THE IFES TEAM'S DE FACTO EXPULSION, EMPHASIZING THAT THEY ARE A HIGHLY-RESPECTED, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION AND NOT PART OF THE USG. WE INTEND TO EXPRESS OUR STRONG SUPPORT FOR THEIR WORK HERE, AND SEEK CLARIFICATION OF THE PROCEDURES IFES MUST FOLLOW IN ORDER TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR ACTIVITIES. WE RECOMMEND HOLDING ANY OTHER ACTIONS IN ABEYANCE UNTIL WE RECEIVE AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSE, THE SUBSTANCE (AND TONE) OF WHICH SHOULD GUIDE OUR NEXT STEPS. WE NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT MUDEDE HAS ALSO REFUSED TO MEET WITH THE EU OFFICIAL SENT HERE TO PREPARE A LONG-TERM MONITORING INITIATIVE SIMILAR TO THE ONE ENVISAGED BY IFES. ROTH CONFIDENTIAL >