MEDIA REPORT PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 003741 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: MEDIA REPORT PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE ¶1. THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" USED ITS DECEMBER 14 EDITORIAL TO URGE THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE TO ALLOW AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AND INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS TO SUPERVISE AND OBSERVE THE 2002 PRESIDENTIAL POLL. UNDER HEADLINE "AN ELECTION NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY OTHERS," THE PAPER COMMENTS: ¶2. "A NUMBER OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES AMONG THEM THE U.S. AND THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, HAVE THREATENED NOT TO RECOGNIZE THE RESULT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN MARCH, IF THEY DEEM IT NOT TO HAVE BEEN FREE AND FAIR. AN ELECTION SUPERVISED BY AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION COULD GIVE THE GOVERNMENT AN INTERNATIONAL IMAGE HIGHLY COVETED BY ANY DEVELOPING COUNTRY HAVING DIFFICULT BORROWING MONEY FROM ANYWHERE BECAUSE OF ITS PARIAH STATUS. ALLOWING INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS INTO THE COUNTRY WOULD ERASE IN ONE FELL SWOOP MUGABE'S ODIOUS REPUTATION OF 'A POWER-CRAZED, AGED DICTATOR,' TO QUOTE ED ROYCE, A U. S. CONGRESSMAN. IT WOULD DEMONSTRATE, ONCE AND FOR ALL, THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOTHING TO HIDE, THAT IT HAD ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN ITS POPULARITY WITH THE VOTERS NOT TO BE FRIGHTENED OF A LEVEL ELECTION PLAYING FIELD. BUT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, INSTEAD, IS TO HARP ON THE FACT THAT ZIMBABWE IS A SOVEREIGN STATE WHICH WILL NOT BE DICTATED TO BY OTHER COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY THE FORMER COLONIAL MASTER. SOVEREIGNTY IS ALL VERY WELL, BUT IF IT TURNS THE COUNTRY INTO A RENEGADE STATE, SHUNNED BY THE REST OF THE CIVILIZED WORLD, IT'S HARDLY WORTHWHILE. TO PUT IT MILDLY, THE GOVERNMENT IS NERVOUS ABOUT GOING INTO AN ELECTION WHERE THE PLAYING FIELD IS ABSOLUTELY LEVEL." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03741 172104Z UNCLASSIFIED >