MUGABE DEFIANT AT NEW YEAR'S RECEPTION FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000779

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. 02/14/11
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR ZI
SUBJECT: MUGABE DEFIANT AT NEW YEAR'S RECEPTION FOR
DIPLOMATS


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PAGE 02 HARARE 00779 01 OF 02 201530Z
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES EARL IRVING. REASONS: 1.5
(B) AND (D).

REF: HARARE 775

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) PRESIDENT MUGABE STRUCK A DEFIANT TONE FEBRUARY 19
AT HIS ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S RECEPTION FOR HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC
MISSIONS. THE PRESIDENT SIGNALED THAT HE WOULD NOT
PERMIT THE ACCREDITATION OF INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS FOR THE
UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, INSISTING THAT ZIMBABWE
WOULD NOT TOLERATE "DIRTY INTERFERING HANDS IN ITS DOMESTIC
AFFAIRS." ON LAND, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S FAST TRACK
RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM WAS IRREVERSIBLE, AND THAT DONORS WERE
WELCOME TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE SO LONG AS THEY DID NOT
INSIST ON CHANGES IN APPROACH. MUGABE BLAMED THE COUNTRY'S
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ON THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS AND FALLING PRICES IN THE INTERNATIONAL
MINERAL AND COMMODITY MARKETS. ALL IN ALL, THE PRESIDENT'S
COMMENTS REVEALED A REMARKABLE CAPACITY FOR SELF-DELUSION.
HIS INTIMATION THAT INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS WOULD NOT BE
PERMITTED TO MONITOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ARE A
TROUBLING SIGN THAT MUGABE HAS EVERY INTENTION OF RUNNING A
DIRTY RACE. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) USAID MISSION DIRECTOR REPRESENTED CHARGE
D'AFFAIRES ON FEBRUARY 20 AT PRESIDENT MUGABE'S ANNUAL NEW
YEAR'S RECEPTION FOR HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS. IN HIS
PREPARED REMARKS, MOST OF WHICH WERE LATER BROADCAST ON THE
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PAGE 03 HARARE 00779 01 OF 02 201530Z
ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION'S NIGHTLY NEWSCAST, THE
PRESIDENT TOUCHED ON THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,
LAND REFORM, THE ECONOMY, AND THE DROC CONFLICT.

ELECTION
--------------


3. (U) MUGABE CLAIMED THAT THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF
JUNE 2000 HAD ENDORSED ZANU-PF'S MANDATE, AND WERE WIDELY
ACKNOWLEDGED TO HAVE BEEN BOTH FREE AND FAIR, DESPITE A
"MASSIVE DEGREE OF EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE." HE WARNED THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NOT TO "EXPLOIT...THE PREVAILING
PRACTICE OF OBSERVING ELECTIONS FOR PURPOSES OF INTERFERING
WITH THEM AND UNDERMINING OUR PEOPLE'S SOVEREIGN RIGHT TO
DECIDE WHO SHALL GOVERN." IN WHAT WE TOOK TO BE A CLEAR
SIGNAL OF THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS IN THE UPCOMING
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, MUGABE EMPHASIZED THAT ZIMBABWE, AS
A SOVEREIGN NATION, WOULD NOT TOLERATE "THE PHENOMENON OF
DIRTY INTERFERING HANDS IN ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS."

LAND
--------------


4. (U) THE PRESIDENT WAS AS UNAPOLOGETIC AS EVER ON THE
ISSUE OF LAND. HE DECLARED THAT THE FAST TRACK PROGRAM
WOULD CONTINUE UNABATED, AS "THIS COUNTRY CAN NEVER
EXPERIENCE PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE FUTURE IF THE PRESENT
COLONIAL DISPARITIES ARE PERPETUATED." MUGABE ACKNOWLEDGED
THE NEED FOR RESOURCES FOR LAND REFORM, BUT SAID
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE WOULD BE REJECTED "OUT OF HAND" IF
DONORS INSISTED ON ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FAST TRACK APPROACH.
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PAGE 04 HARARE 00779 01 OF 02 201530Z

ECONOMY
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5. (U) AS HE HAS MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, THE PRESIDENT
LAID THE BLAME FOR ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMIC DETERIORATION ON
"EXOGENOUS" FORCES, SPECIFICALLY CONDITIONALITIES IMPOSED
BY THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND BY
DEPRESSED PRICES IN THE INTERNATIONAL MINERAL AND COMMODITY
MARKETS. ZIMBABWE'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE, MUGABE SAID, HAD
SUFFERED BECAUSE OF ITS PORTRAYAL AS A COUNTRY TORN BY
RAMPANT VIOLENCE AND INSTABILITY, AN INACCURATE PERCEPTION
"PEDDLED BY BRITAIN AND ITS UNWITTING ALLIES."

DROC
--------------


6. (U) MUGABE ASSERTED THAT ZIMBABWE AND ITS SADC
NEIGHBORS WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK FOR A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT
OF THE CONFLICT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. "WE
ARE NOW MORE HOPEFUL THAN BEFORE. FOR NOW, THE ALLIES IN
THE CONGO, THAT IS, ANGOLA, NAMIBIA AND ZIMBABWE, REMAIN
SOLIDLY TOGETHER BEHIND THE COUNTRY AND ITS NEW PRESIDENT,
JOSEPH KABILA."

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00
DODE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00
FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00
VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 STR-00 TRSE-00
USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00
SAS-00 /009W
-------------- C7C38F 201530Z /38
P 201530Z FEB 01
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8254
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000779

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL. 02/14/11
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR ZI
SUBJECT: MUGABE DEFIANT AT NEW YEAR'S RECEPTION FOR
DIPLOMATS

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PAGE 02 HARARE 00779 02 OF 02 201530Z
COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) THE PRESIDENT'S RECEPTION IS AN ANNUAL EVENT THAT
IS USUALLY LONG ON DIPLOMATIC FROTH AND SHORT ON
SUBSTANTIVE ATTENTION TO ISSUES. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER,
MUGABE OBVIOUSLY CONSIDERED IT IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE SEVERAL
OF THE HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY. HIS REMARKS REVEALED AN
AMAZING CAPACITY FOR SELF-DELUSION, AS HE DECLINED TO
ACCEPT ONE IOTA OF BLAME FOR THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC DECLINE
AND BREAKDOWN OF LAW AND ORDER. HIS COMMENTS ON LAND AND
THE ECONOMY WERE TYPICALLY VITRIOLIC, BROKE NO NEW GROUND,
AND INDEED ADUMBRATED HIS LIKELY RESPONSE TO THE LETTER
FROM UNDP ADMINISTRATOR MARK MALLOCH-BROWN. ON THE OTHER
HAND, MUGABE'S REFERENCE TO "DIRTY INTERFERING HANDS" IN
ZIMBABWEAN ELECTIONS IS TROUBLING, AS IT APPEARS TO SIGNAL
THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION NOT TO ALLOW INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVERS TO MONITOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THE
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS, COMBINED WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S
EXPULSION OF TWO CRITICAL FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS (REFTEL),
STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO RUN A DIRTY
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND DOES NOT WANT FOREIGN JOURNALISTS
OR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS HERE AS WITNESSES.


8. (C) THE PRESIDENT APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH AND
LINGERED AT THE RECEPTION MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL. ALTHOUGH
MUGABE HAS, IN THE PAST, DEPARTED ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER
HIS SPEECH, HE STAYED SO LONG ON THIS OCCASION THAT MANY
ATTENDEES EVENTUALLY IGNORED PROTOCOL AND LEFT BEFORE HE
DID. ABOUT HALF THE CROWD HAD DEPARTED WHEN THE USAID
MISSION DIRECTOR TOOK HER LEAVE, AND THE PRESIDENT WAS
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STILL THERE GLAD-HANDING. END COMMENT.

IRVING

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