ZIMBABWE NIXES INITIAL VISIT BY EU ELECTION OBSERVERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002760 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: DECL. 09/18/11 TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV ZI SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE NIXES INITIAL VISIT BY EU ELECTION OBSERVERS REFS: A) HARARE 2710 B) HARARE 2690 CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MATT HARRINGTON. REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) EU ACTING CHIEF OF MISSION ALEX KREMER, ACCOMPANIED BY BRUSSELS-BASED EU STAFFER TIM SHEEHY, DESCRIBED TO POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF ON SEPTEMBER 17 THE HEADACHES EXPERIENCED BY THE EU IN TRYING TO GET A NINE-PERSON TECHNICAL TEAM ON THE GROUND TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A SUSTAINED ELECTION OBSERVATION EFFORT. ACCORDING TO KREMER, THE EU MISSION IN HARARE INFORMED THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE IN A NOTE VERBALE ON SEPTEMBER 14 THAT THE TEAM WOULD BE ARRIVING ON SEPTEMBER 23, AND PROVIDED THE TEAM'S TERMS OF REFERENCE. KREMER RECEIVED A POLITE BUT FIRM LETTER IN RESPONSE FROM DEPUTY PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN GEORGE CHARAMBA STATING THAT THE EU SHOULD WAIT TO SEND ELECTION OBSERVERS UNTIL IT IS INVITED TO DO SO. CHARAMBA OFFERED NO DETAILS ON WHEN THE EU MIGHT EXPECT SUCH AN INVITATION. ¶2. (C) THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S DIVISION DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS JONATHAN WUTAWUNASHE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH KREMER AND THE BELGIAN AMBASSADOR ON SEPTEMBER 17 TO DISCUSS THE MATTER FURTHER. WUTAWUNASHE REPORTEDLY SAID THE GOZ DOES NOT OBJECT "IN PRINCIPLE" TO EU ELECTION SUPPORT, BUT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE LANGUAGE IN THE EU'S NOTE VERBALE AND TERMS OF REFERENCE RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEAM'S REAL OBJECTIVES. THE MFA OFFICIAL RECOMMENDED THAT THE EU SEND ANOTHER NOTE VERBALE PROPOSING THE VISIT OF THE TEAM AND SUGGESTING A DISCUSSION OF ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE. KREMER TOLD US THAT THE EU PLANS TO PROCEED ALONG THE LINES SUGGESTED BY WUTAWUNASHE. ASKED WHETHER THE EU CONSIDERED THIS THE END OF THE ROAD FOR ITS ELECTION OBSERVATION EFFORT, SHEEHY SAID NO, BUT HE FULLY EXPECTED THE GOZ TO ERECT ALL SORTS OF OBSTACLES, ENSURING THAT NO OBSERVERS ARE ADMITTED UNTIL MUCH CLOSER TO THE DATES OF THE ELECTION. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HARARE 02760 200502Z COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (C) WE AGREE WITH KREMER THAT THE GOZ WILL MAKE ALL PROPOSED OBSERVER GROUPS -- PARTICULARLY THOSE FROM WESTERN GOVERNMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS -- JUMP THROUGH A NUMBER OF INCREASINGLY NARROW HOOPS IN THE RUN-UP TO THE ELECTION. THE GOZ'S LIKELY GOAL IS TO PREVENT OUTSIDE GROUPS FROM WITNESSING THE PRE-ELECTION VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION THAT IS ALREADY A FACT OF LIFE FOR MANY ZIMBABWEANS, AND TO ALLOW THEM IN AT THE LAST MINUTE, JUST IN TIME TO PUT THEIR STAMP OF APPROVAL ON THE VOTING DAYS THEMSELVES, WHICH HISTORICALLY HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL. THUS IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON, AND WE WILL PRESS THE GOZ FOR A RESPONSE TO OUR SEPTEMBER 13 DIPLOMATIC NOTE REGARDING THE IFES TEAM'S EXPULSION (REFTELS) BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. ROTH CONFIDENTIAL >