ZIMBABWE REACTION TO HOUSE PASSAGE OF ZIMBABWE

UNCLAS HARARE 003651 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE REACTION TO HOUSE PASSAGE OF ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT. ¶1. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' DECEMBER 4 PASSAGE OF THE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT (ZDERA) WAS FRONT-PAGE NEWS IN ZIMBABWE ON DECEMBER 6. ¶2. GOVERNMENT-OWNED DAILY "THE HERALD" GAVE THE STORY ABOVE-THE-FOLD PLAY UNDER THE HEADLINE "ANTI-ZIM BILL PASSED." THE REPORT BLAMES THE OPPOSITION MDC PARTY, COMMERCIAL FARMERS, "SOME LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS," THE BRITISH, AND "RIGHTWINGERS" FOR THE BILL'S PASSAGE. FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN ANDREW YOUNG IS QUOTED IN THE STORY A SAYING THAT THE BILL IS "IRONIC IN THAT AT ITS FOUNDING AMERICA NEVER RECOGNIZED THE LAND PROGRAM GIVEN TO IT BY KING GEORGE III. INSTEAD, AMERICA WROTE AND ASSERTED HER OWN LAND POLICY." ¶3. THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE" GAVE THE ISSUE TWO FRONT-PAGE PLACEMENTS" A STRAIGHT NEWS STORY UNDER THE TITLE "US CONGRESS PASSES ZIMBABWE SANCTIONS" AND A RELATIVELY RARE PAGE-ONE EDITORIAL UNDER THE TITLE "NOOSE TIGHTENS ON PRESIDENT. THE NEWS STORY PROVIDED A STRAIGHT ACCOUNT OF THE BILL, LEAVENED WITH QUOTES FROM CONGRESSMEN ROYCE AND LANTOS. ¶4. IN ITS FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL THE "FINANCIAL GAZETTE" COMMENTED: "THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE INTERNATIONAL TIDE IS RISING AND NOW THREATENS TO SWEEP AWAY PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE AND HIS REPRESSIVE REGIME. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THIS WEEK PASSED THE ZDERA THAT WILL UNLEASH SMART SANCTIONS AGAINST MUGABE AND THE POWERFUL CLIQUE OF SENIOR ZANU PF OFFICIALS AROUND HIM. . . BUT GIVEN THE STUBBORN NATURE OF ZIMBABWEAN LEADERS, THERE REALLY IS NO HOPE THAT MUGABE AND HIS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03651 071031Z BAND OF MERRY MEN WILL RESPECT THE WISHES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ALLOW A FREE AND FAIR POLL AND RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW. WHAT IS MOST LIKELY IS THAT THE ZIMBABWEAN LEADER WILL DEFY ALL EFFORTS TO RESOLVE CONCERNS ABOUT HIS MISRULE AND, LIKE OSAMA BIN LADEN, BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE. TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR MUGABE AND ZANU PF BECAUSE THE INTERNATIONAL TIDE AGAINST THEIR REPRESSIVE RULE IS RISING AND RISING VERY FAST. AND THE NOOSE IS TIGHTENING." ¶5. THE PRIVATELY OWNED DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" PUBLISHED THE STORY ON PAGE TWO UNDER THE TITLE "ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY BILL REACHES WATERSHED." THAT REPORT WAS FACTUAL, OFFERING A SUMMARY OF THE BILL, AND QUOTES FROM CONGRESSMAN ED ROYCE. THE ARTICLE ALSO OFFERED REACTIONS TO THE BILL FROM ZANU-PF SPOKESMAN NATHAN SHAMUYARIRA AND MDC SPOKESMAN LEARNMORE JONGWE. ¶6. ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION RADIO AND TV ALSO GAVE ZDERA PROMINENT COVERAGE. REPORTS WERE GENERALLY FACTUAL, BUT SOUGHT TO BLAME THE OPPOSITION AND OTHER PERCEIVED ENEMIES OF THE RULING PARTY FOR PROMOTING THE BILL. INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO DOWNPLAYED THE BILL, DESCRIBING IT AS A "TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT" DURING A ZBC TV INTERVIEW. SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED