MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000666 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. WITH VOTE COUNTING UNDER WAY IN ZIMBABWE, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00666 01 OF 02 140606Z EDITORIALS PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 12 EDITIONS OF THE THREE DAILIES IN THE COUNTRY DISCUSS CONCEIVABLE END RESULTS OF THE JUST ENDED PRESIDENTIAL POLL. EXCERPTS: ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "WHITES' ACTIONS DESPICABLE," THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" (03/12) COMMENTS: "WHITE PEOPLE IN ZIMBABWE WENT FOR BROKE DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AS THEY PUSHED FOR AN UNLIKELY MDC VICTORY. . . THE SAME RACISTS WHO HAVE ALWAYS SEEN BLACKS AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS WERE DURING THE ELECTION TRYING HARD TO JOIN HANDS WITH BLACKS, SOMETHING THEY HAVE RESISTED FOR A LONG TIME. WHAT HAS CHANGED SO DRAMATICALLY TO SEE WHITE PEOPLE NOT ONLY STANDING IN LONG QUEUES TO VOTE BUT TRYING TO COERCE OTHER PEOPLE INTO VOTING FOR THE OPPOSITION MDC? THE ANSWER IS ALL TOO OBVIOUS. THEY ARE ONLY PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL POLITICS TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS. THEY WANT TO HANG ON TO THE VAST FARMS WHILE BLACKS REMAIN CRAMMED ON SMALL PIECES OF FRAGILE LAND. . . THE WATERSHED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROVIDED ZIMBABWEANS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE A LEADER WHO WILL GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL RECLAIM THEIR BIRTHRIGHT. PRESIDENT MUGABE THROUGHOUT HIS CAMPAIGN PERIOD TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT LAND WILL BE EQUITABLY REDISTRIBUTED FOR ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENCE TO BE COMPLETE. THE MDC, FUNDED BY WHITES AND WESTERN BACKERS, ON THE OTHER HAND WANTS TO RETURN ACQUIRED LAND TO WHITE PEOPLE, HENCE THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00666 01 OF 02 140606Z DETERMINATION BY WHITE PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THEIR PARTY WINS. THEY ARE IN FOR A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT AS THEIR NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES INFURIATED THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS. THEIR PUPPET WILL NOT WIN." ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "WIDENING RURAL-URBAN GAP AN EVIL POLITICAL PLOY," THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" (03/12) COMMENTS: ". . .ZANU PF HAS TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO CURRY FAVOR WITH THE RURAL FOLK BY PUBLICLY DEMEANING THE URBAN DWELLER, GOING TO THE EXTENT OF ACCUSING THEM OF HAVING CONTRIBUTED FAR LESS TO THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE THAN THE RURAL FOLK. THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE THIS CAME WITH THE CHAOTIC LAND REFORM PROGRAM WITH WHICH THE PARTY SEEMS DETERMINED TO TURN THE COUNTRY INTO ONE VAST VILLAGE. FOR THAT, ZANU PF EXPECTS THE RURAL FOLK TO REWARD IT WITH A RESOUNDING VOTE FOR ITS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ROBERT MUGABE. BY THE DUBIOUS CALCULATIONS OF THE PARTY POLLSTERS, MUGABE WILL WIN BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE RURAL AREAS THAN IN THE URBAN AREAS. THE THEORY IS THAT BECAUSE ZANU PF HAS ALWAYS CONSIDERED THE RURAL AREAS ITS BEDROCK OF SUPPORT, MUGABE IS AS GOOD AS HOME AND DRY. . . IT WOULD BE VERY DISTURBING IF THE RURAL FOLK FELT THEY OWED MUGABE THE VOTE BECAUSE OF THE LAND REFORM PROGRAM. WE DOUBT THAT THEY COULD BE SO SIMPLE MINDED. . . ZANU PF'S ALMOST EVIL DESIGN IS TO DIVIDE THE PEOPLE ALONG THEIR SOCIAL STATUS, TO HAVE THE RURAL FOLK DESPISE THEIR URBAN COUSINS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 00666 01 OF 02 140606Z AS PUPPETS OF TONY BLAIR, THE COMMERCIAL FARMERS, THE TRADE UNIONS AND THE MDC. YET THE TRUTH, WHICH WE KNOW THE RURAL FOLK ARE AWARE OF, IS THAT ZANU PF HAS FAILED TO DEVELOP THIS COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE RURAL AREAS, TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL. NOW IT IS USING MURDER, RAPE AND VIOLENCE TO INTIMIDATE THE PEOPLE INTO VOTING FOR IT. AS ONE, THE PEOPLE ARE BOUND TO REJECT THIS PARTY OF VIOLENCE AND LIES. IF ZANU PF ATTEMPTS TO STEAL THE ELECTION, ALL THE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE RURAL FOLK, CANNOT POSSIBLY STAND IDLY BY." ¶4. UNDER HEADLINE "THE EU MUST NOT CHOOSE LEADERS FOR US," THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" (03/12) COMMENTS: "AS THE NATION ANXIOUSLY WAITS FOR THE RESULTS OF THE 'WATERSHED' PRESIDENTIAL POLLS, THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) HAS DEMONSTRATED WHY IT IS NOW BEING REFERRED TO AS THE 'ERRING UNION' BY TELLING THE WORLD WHO THEY WANT TO WIN THE ELECTIONS. TO THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2052 PAGE 01 HARARE 00666 02 OF 02 140606Z ACTION INR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- 74456F 140607Z /38 P 140556Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1202 INFO NSC WASHDC AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK AMEMBASSY GABORONE AMEMBASSY LILONGWE AMEMBASSY LONDON UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000666 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 BLUNDERING EU, THE POLL WILL NOT BE FREE AND FAIR UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00666 02 OF 02 140606Z IF WON BY ANYBODY WHO IS NOT THEIR FAVORED CANDIDATE. . . IF THAT 'WINNER' DOES NOT TURN OUT TO BE ANYONE THEY HAVE IN MIND, THEN THEY WILL IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWE. . . BY IMPOSING SANCTIONS, THE EU IS TELLING ZIMBABWEANS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH US. . . IF THEIR (EU'S) INTENTIONS WERE NOBLE AND ABOVE BOARD, THE ERRING UNION SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE RESULTS OF THE 9 AND 10 MARCH POLLS AND THEN MAKE WHATEVER 'RESOLUTIONS' BASED ON THE RESULTS AND REPORTS FROM THE VARIOUS REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS. WAITING HAS NEVER BEEN THE WHITE MAN'S FAVORITE GAME. THEY JUST HAVE TO PILE 'PRESSURE' AND GRAB EVERYTHING NO MATTER WHAT. BY COMING WITH THESE 'THREATS' BEFORE ANYTHING HAS AN INKLING OF THE RESULTS, THEY ARE TELLING US THAT IT'S THE EU THAT WANTS PRESIDENT MUGABE OUT AND NOT THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE. . . IN FACT THE EU AND THEIR COUSINS IN THE UNITED STATES, HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TELL THE VOTING PUBLIC NOT TO VOTE FOR A LEADER OF THEIR CHOICE. THEY WANTED THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE TO GO FOR THEIR PUPPET. . . IN THEIR DEMENTED MINDS, ELECTIONS CAN ONLY BE 'FREE AND FAIR' WHEN THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATE WINS THEM. THEY TRIED IT IN ZAMBIA BUT FAILED DISMALLY. INDICATIONS ARE THAT THEY HAVE FAILED IN ZIMBABWE. . . WE WANT TO MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT WHOEVER THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT FOR SIX YEARS, NEVER MIND WHAT THE EU AND THE COWBOYS AT WHITE HOUSE SAY. . . ." UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00666 02 OF 02 140606Z SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >