MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000583 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 ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE ¶1. WITH ONLY THREE DAYS REMAINING BEFORE ZIMBABWEANS GO TO THE POLLS TO ELECT A NEW PRESIDENT, EDITORIALS IN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00583 01 OF 02 061343Z THE MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE ELECTION. EDITORIAL EXCERPTS FOLLOW: ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "UK PUT FIRMLY IN ITS PLACE," THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" DEDICATED ITS MARCH 6 EDITORIAL TO THE CHOGM DECISION TO POSTPONE ACTION ON ZIMBABWE. EXCERPTS: "THE OUTCOME OF THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING IN AUSTRALIA IS A SLAP IN THE FACE FOR THE PRO-SANCTIONS LOBBY THAT DID NOT GO TO COOLUM TO COMPROMISE BUT TO IMPOSE ITS WILL. LED BY BRITAIN, AN IRRESPONSIBLE FORMER COLONIAL POWER, THE GROUP PLANNED TO RAILROAD THE SUMMIT INTO SUSPENDING ZIMBABWE FROM THE 54-MEMBER BODY OR IMPOSING SANCTIONS ON THE COUNTRY. . . BUT BRITAIN AND ITS ALLIES' PLAN QUICKLY CRUMPLED WITH THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS REFUSING TO RUBBER STAMP SELF-SERVING PROPOSALS. THE SANCTIONS LOBBY WAS NOT ONLY BRUSHED ASIDE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE COMMONWEALTH, FOR THE FIRST TIME ACKNOWLEDGED, THAT THE LAND ISSUE WAS AT THE CORE OF ZIMBABWE'S PROBLEMS. . . ZIMBABWEANS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DEMOCRATICALLY ELECT THEIR PRESIDENT WITHOUT INTERFERENCE. . . THERE IS NO NEED TO PRE-JUDGE THE OUTCOME. . . ONLY FOREIGNERS, SCARED THAT THE OUTCOME WILL NOT GO THE WAY THEY WANT, WILL RUSH TO PRE-DETERMINE THE ELECTION AND SEEK TO HAVE THE COUNTRY PUNISHED. . . AS THINGS STAND, BRITAIN AND ITS SANCTIONS LOBBY WILL HAVE TO THINK OF OTHER WAYS OF PUNISHING ZIMBABWE BECAUSE THE COMMONWEALTH IS UNLIKELY TO DO ITS DIRTY WORK." UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00583 01 OF 02 061343Z ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "THE KEY WORD IS CONSISTENCY," THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" DEDICATED ITS MARCH 6 EDITORIAL TO URGING ZIMBABWEANS TO VOTE FOR A LEADER WITH SOLID EXECUTIVE QUALITIES IN THE MARCH 9 AND 10 PRESIDENTIAL POLL. EXCERPTS: ". . .AS PEOPLE PREPARE TO VOTE ON MARCH 9 AND 10, THE WORD CONSISTENCE SHOULD BE UPPER MOST IN THEIR MINDS. AMONG THE PEOPLE ASKING THEM FOR THEIR VOTE, WHO HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN ACTION, WORD OR DEED? WHO HAS DISPLAYED AN UNWAVERING STANCE ON ANY SUBJECT OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE? WHO HAS SPOKEN ELOQUENTLY ON ANY MATTER THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE ORDINARY MAN? WHO HAS PROMISED AND TO SOME EXTENT SHOWN EVIDENCE THAT HE HAS THE PEOPLE AT HEART? THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS IS RATHER OBVIOUS FOR BETWEEN THE SO-CALLED FRONT RUNNERS IN THE POLL - PRESIDENT MUGABE AND MR. TSVANGIRAI - MUGABE HAS EMERGED AS CONSISTENT AS EVER. . . EVEN THE IMMENSE PRESSURE FROM POWERFUL ANGLO-AMERICAN FORCES, AND THREATS OF SANCTIONS HAVE NOT CHANGED HIS CONSISTENT ARTICULATION OF ISSUES. NOT SO WITH MR. TSVANGIRAI. . . CAN SOMEONE WHO IS SO INCONSISTENT SIPDIS THEREFORE BE TRUSTED TO CARRY THE JOB OF CEO OF THE COUNTRY? UNLIKE IN A COMPANY WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIMENT AND MAYBE FIRE THE INCUMBENT A YEAR OR TWO AFTER HE HAS FAILED, WITH A COUNTRY IT WILL BE DISASTROUS TO ALLOW OURSELVES THE FOLLY OF 'TRYING.' THE INCONSISTENCY DISPLAYED BY SOME OF THE POTENTIAL LEADERS MIGHT BACKFIRE, IN A WAY THAT IS BIGGER THAN THE ARTIFICIAL SHORTAGES THAT WE HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH ON A DAILY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 00583 01 OF 02 061343Z BASIS." ¶4. UNDER HEADLINE "ZIMBABWE'S FAILURE COULD DOOM THE COMMONWEALTH" THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" MARCH 6 EDITORIAL IS CRITICAL OF ALLEGED SADC COLLUSION WITH THE MUGABE ADMINISTRATION IN DISENFRANCHISING ZIMBABWEANS DURING THE MARCH 9 AND 10 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. EXCERPTS: ". . .THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) IS TAKING AFTER THE OAU OVER THE CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE. LARGELY THROUGH ITS INFLUENCE, THE COMMONWEALTH FAILED TO COME UP WITH A BOLD, DECISIVE AND UNEQUIVOCAL POSITION ON THE TERROR UNLEASHED BY PRESIDENT MUGABE'S REGIME ON THE OPPOSITION AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THE IDEAL WOULD HAVE BEEN TO ENSURE THAT THE PLAYING FIELD WAS LEVEL BEFORE THE ELECTION. TO WAIT UNTIL THE VERDICT OF AN ELECTION IN WHICH THOUSANDS OF VOTERS HAVE BEEN DISENFRANCHISED BY MUGABE'S CUNNING DEVICES IS A COWARD'S WAY. THE FUTURE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8816 PAGE 01 HARARE 00583 02 OF 02 061343Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 NSAE-00 PA-00 PRS-00 SP-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DRL-02 SAS-00 /002W -------------- 704A1A 061343Z /45 P 061053Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1110 INFO NSC WASHDC AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK AMEMBASSY GABORONE AMEMBASSY LILONGWE AMEMBASSY LONDON UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000583 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 ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE OF THE COMMONWEALTH COULD BE IN GREAT DANGER IF THE 54- NATION GROUP PANDERS TO THE WHIMS OF AN AFRICAN BLOC SO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00583 02 OF 02 061343Z AMBIVALENT ABOUT DEMOCRACY THEY BLAME THE MEDIA FOR WHAT IS CLEARLY THE WORK OF MUGABE'S YOUNG THUGS (MILITIAS) . . . THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE HAVE, SINCE THE REFERENDUM IN 2000, DISPLAYED A RESILIENCE OF SPIRIT WHICH SHOCKED MUGABE AND HIS PARTY OF VIOLENCE. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT EVEN WITH THE VIOLENCE AGAINST THEM AND THE SERIES OF ANTI-DEMOCRATIC LAWS RUSHED THROUGH PARLIAMENT WITH THE INDECENT HASTE OF A BANANA REPUBLIC, THE PEOPLE WILL MAKE THEIR CHOICE KNOWN EMPHATICALLY ON 9-10 MARCH. . . ." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >