MEDIA REACTION ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000625 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 ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE ¶1. AS ZIMBABWEANS HEAD FOR THE POLLS, EDITORIALS IN THE LEADING NEWSPAPERS TAKE ONE LAST SHOT AT PERSUADING VOTERS TO SUPPORT ONE OF THE TWO LEADING CANDIDATES. EXCERPTS: ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "D-DAY FOR ZIMBABWE," THE MARCH 9 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" CARRIED THE FOLLOWING EDITORIAL ON PAGE ONE: "TODAY IS D-DAY, AS ZIMBABWEANS GO TO THE POLLS TO DECIDE THEIR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FUTURE IN THIS WATERSHED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THIS IS NO ORDINARY PLEBISCITE TO CHOOSE WHO WILL LEAD THIS COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS. IT IS IN FACT, A CRUCIAL DEFINING MOMENT WHICH WILL DETERMINE THE DIRECTION WHICH THIS NATION WILL TAKE IN TERMS OF ITS SOVEREIGNTY. THE RESULT OF THIS ELECTION WILL ALSO HAVE WIDER IMPLICATIONS ON THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA AND THE REST OF THE CONTINENT. AFTER THE ELECTION, ZIMBABWE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. IT WILL EITHER EMERGE AS A TRULY INDEPENDENT AFRICAN STATE IN CHARGE OF ITS OWN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DESTINY OR A SEEMINGLY PROSPEROUS COUNTRY WHERE THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVIDE BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK WILL BE PERPETUATED. .OPTIONS CONFRONTING MOST ZIMBABWEANS AT THIS POINT IN TIME ARE WHETHER THEY WANT TO CONTINUE BEING GOOD DOCILE AFRICANS THAT ARE PAMPERED BY THE NORTH UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00625 01 OF 02 091339Z ATLANTIC WORLD AND FED FROM LEFTOVERS OR THEY WANT TO TAKE THE BULL BY ITS HORNS AND TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR DESTINY. . . . . .THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES IMPOSED SURGICAL SANCTIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT MUGABE AND THREATENED TO FREEZE HIS ALLEGED OVERSEAS ASSETS IN A BID TO DAMAGE HIS REPUTATION. . . THE COMBINED MIGHT OF EUROPE AND AMERICA HAS FAILED TO DAMPEN HIS SPIRIT, WHICH HAS GROWN STRONGER INSTEAD. . . HISTORY WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR HIS ABILITY TO SACRIFICE HIS GOOD NAME FOR THE SAKE OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY. . . . . .PRESIDENT MUGABE WILL INDEED GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS A TRUE CHAMPION OF AFRICAN LIBERATION WHO WENT AGAINST THE MIGHT OF THE WEST AND RISKED RELEGATION TO A PARIAH IN ORDER TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE TO THE PROMISED LAND. AS ZIMBABWEANS GO TO THE POLLS TODAY AND TOMORROW, THEY DO SO IN DIGNITY AND PRIDE. THEIR VOTE WILL SEND A CLEAR AND RESOUNDING MESSAGE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT WE ARE A SOVEREIGN NATION WITH THE DETERMINATION NOT ONLY TO SURVIVE, BUT SUCCEED AGAINST ALL ODDS. THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THAT WILL BE GIVEN BY THE PEOPLE SHOULD SPUR THE PRESIDENT TO COMPLETE THE TASK THAT WAS STARTED IN THE 1960S, TO RESTORE FULLY THE COUNTRY, BACK TO ITS PEOPLE. . ." ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "LIFE UNDER ZANU PF HAS BEEN ONE LONG NIGHTMARE," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 00625 01 OF 02 091339Z DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" COMMENTS: ¶4. "DIDYMUS MUTASA HAS BEEN TALKING TOUGH FOR SOME TIME. SOME OF HIS OUTBURSTS HAVE BEEN PATENTLY INSULTING TO THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE PEOPLE. HIS GENERAL THEME HAS BEEN THAT ZANU PF CANNOT CEDE THE REINS OF POWER FOR ANY REASON, THAT IF THE MDC WINS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, HIS PARTY WOULD SEEK THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT. . . "MOST PEOPLE ARE FED UP WITH ZANU PF'S ARROGANCE. IF THEY ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY INCENSED TO VOTE MUGABE OUT OF POWER, THEN THAT WILL BE HIS GOOD FORTUNE. BUT IF THEY ACT AGAINST HIM, NOBODY - INCLUDING MUTASA AND OTHERS - CAN REVERSE THAT DECISION WITHOUT PLUNGING THE COUNTRY INTO SENSELESS STRIFE." ¶5. UNDER HEADLINE "TOWARDS A VISION OF POST-ELECTION ZIMBABWE," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE ZIMBABWE MIRROR" COMMENTS: ". . .AS WE DECIDE THIS WEEKEND BETWEEN THE TWO UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8780 PAGE 01 HARARE 00625 02 OF 02 091340Z ACTION AF-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 NISC-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /007W -------------- 71EBF5 091340Z /03 P 091042Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1151 INFO NSC WASHDC AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK AMEMBASSY GABORONE AMEMBASSY LILONGWE AMEMBASSY LONDON UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000625 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 ZIMBABWE DECIDES; HARARE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00625 02 OF 02 091340Z THAT REPRESENT WHAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE OPPOSED WORLD VIEWS IN OUR SOCIETY, ALL OF US WILL HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND THE REALITY THAT WE ARE ZIMBABWEANS, FIRST AND FOREMOST. ". . .BOTH ZANU PF AND THE MDC MUST AGREE, WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ON THE NEED TO INTRODUCE FOR PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION WHICH WAS REJECTED AT THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT IN THE REFERENDUM IN FEBRUARY, 2000. . . THE COUNTRY IS IN DIRE NEED OF A NEW CONSTITUTION AND THE DRAFT DOES PROVIDE A BASIS ON WHICH. . .ZIMBABWE CAN USHER IN A NEW POLITICAL ORDER. . ." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >