MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000570 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE ¶1. IN THE FINAL WEEK OF ZIMBABWE'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO DEVOTE THEIR EDITORIALS, AND MUCH OF THEIR NEWS COVERAGE, TO THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00570 051502Z EXCERPTS FOLLOW: ¶2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "MESSAGE THAT MUST REACH ALL VILLAGERS," THE INDEPENDENT "DAILY NEWS" ON MARCH 5 EXPRESSED ITS DISPLEASURE THAT THE COMMONWEALTH FAILED TO SUSPEND THE MUGABE REGIME "FOR ITS BLATANT DISREGARD FOR INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED NORMS OF CIVILIZED GOVERNANCE." EXCERPTS: "IT CAN BE PLAUSIBLY ARGUED THAT, EVEN IF IT HAD SUCCEEDED, THE FAILED ATTEMPT TO SUSPEND ZIMBABWE FROM THE COMMONWEALTH WAS UNLIKELY TO ACHIEVE MUCH IN PERSUADING PRESIDENT MUGABE TO STOP THE VIOLENCE HIS PARTY IS USING COUNTRYWIDE TO FORCE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR HIM THIS COMING WEEKEND ANYWAY. NEVERTHELESS, WE CANNOT PRETEND THAT THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE DO NOT FEEL TERRIBLY LET DOWN BY THE COMMONWEALTH. . .EFFORTS BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES TO REIN IN OUR ROGUE GOVERNMENT ARE CERTAINLY COMMENDABLE. BUT THEY CAN ONLY ACHIEVE SO MUCH AND NO MORE. IT IS NOW LEFT TO ZIMBABWEANS THEMSELVES TO DELIVER THEMSELVES FROM EVIL. AND THEIR ONLY WEAPON IS THEIR VOTE. . . ." ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "WE DO NOT NEED A SURROGATE PRESIDENT, "THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" DECLARED IN ITS MARCH 5 EDITORIAL THAT ZIMBABWE DOES NOT NEED "WHITE MAN" TO RUN THE COUNTRY. EXCERPTS: ". . .VOTING FOR THE OPPOSITION ON 9 AND 10 MARCH WILL CONDEMN US TO CARRYING (WHITE MAN) ACROSS THE RIVER TO SELL OUR DIAMONDS AND GOLD. . .THEREFORE WE DO NOT NEED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00570 051502Z THEM FOR AN IMPORTANT JOB AS RUNNING THE COUNTRY. EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, WE DO NOT NEED A SURROGATE PRESIDENT WHO WILL ALWAYS REMIND US, WHEN HE HAS SOLD EVERYTHING INCLUDING HIS SOUL, THAT 'BUT YOU VOTED FOR ME.'" ¶4. UNDER THE HEADLINE "SAY NO TO WESTERN MANIPULATION," THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "SUNDAY NEWS" ENCOURAGED ZIMBABWEANS, IN ITS MARCH 3 EDITORIAL TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE IN ORDER TO "REASSERT" ZIMBABWE AS "AFRICA'S LEADING VOICE AGAINST WESTERN MANIPULATION." EXCERPTS: "ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, ZIMBABWEANS WILL VOTE IN AN EPOCH-MAKING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. PAN-AFRICANISTS AND OTHER PROGRESSIVE FORCES WORLDWIDE AGREE THAT THIS ELECTION IS REALLY A TIME TO DECIDE WHETHER ZIMBABWE SHOULD REASSERT ITSELF AS AFRICA'S LEADING VOICE AGAINST WESTERN MANIPULATION OR RETURN TO THE DARK DAYS OF COLONIAL SERVITUDE." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >