Wikileaks Diplomatic Cable: Private Weekly Criticized Changes To Electoral Act

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 140731Z Nov 01 UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3803 PAGE 01 HARARE 03383 140910Z ACTION INR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AS-01 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /004W ------------------3DF3FC 140910Z /38 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0265 INFO NSC WASHDC AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK AMEMBASSY GABORONE AMEMBASSY LILONGWE AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 003383

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR
SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: PRIVATE WEEKLY CRITICIZED CHANGES TO ELECTORAL ACT

1. THE PRIVATELY OWNED WEEKLY "THE STANDARD" DEDICATED
ITS NOVEMBER 11 EDITORIAL TO THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSED
CHANGES TO ZIMBABWE'S ELECTORAL ACT. UNDER HEADLINE
"MASSIVE FRAUD IN THE MAKING," THE PAPER COMMENTS:

2. "AMENDMENTS APPROVED THIS WEEK TO THE ELECTORAL ACT BY
THE GOVERNMENT. . .REPRESENT ONE OF THE MOST ELABORATE
FRAUD SCHEMES EVER DEVISED IN RECENT HISTORY. . . THE
LATEST AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTORAL ACT BY THE
GOVERNMENT. . .ARE THE MOST SHAMEFUL, DISHONEST, CRUDE,
AND DESPERATE ATTEMPTS TO DISENFRANCHISE GROUPS OF
PEOPLE SUSPECTED OF HAVING OPPOSITION SYMPATHIES AT
HEART. . . AGAINST THIS PRESENT BACKGROUND, NEXT YEAR'S
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS SET TO BE A MASSIVE
SCANDAL. . ."

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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