MEDIA REACTION ZIM AFTER PRESIDENTIAL POLL;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000767 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 AFTER PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE ¶1. EDITORIALS IN THE MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE HOTLY DISPUTED PRESIDENTIAL POLL IN ZIMBABWE. EXCERPTS FOLLOW: ¶2. UNDER HEADLINE "A REGIME BENT ON VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION WON'T GET AID," THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" (03/25) COMMENTS: ". . .IN LAST WEEK'S CONFERENCE. . .IN MONTERREY, (MEXICO),PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH OF THE UNITED STATES LINKED AID TO GOOD GOVERNANCE. CLEARLY, WORLD POVERTY HAS TO BE TACKLED WITH THE FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT UNLESS A COUNTRY GOVERNS ITS PEOPLE WITH FAIRNESS, IT CANNOT EXPECT TO ATTRACT MUCH HELP TO REDUCE POVERTY. LIKE ANY OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES, ZIMBABWE HAS NOT ALWAYS BEHAVED RESPONSIBLY WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, PARTICULARLY FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION. THE CONDUCT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAS BEEN SO OVERWHELMINGLY CONDEMNED AS A TRAVESTY OF FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE THAT THE FEW FRIENDS WHO HAD STUCK WITH US AFTER THE KILLINGS OF THE 2000 ELECTION CAMPAIGN HAVE DECIDED THEY HAVE HAD ENOUGH. ON ITS PRESENT RECORD OF VIOLENCE AGAINST ITS OWN PEOPLE, THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT MUGABE IS UNLIKELY TO FIND TOO MANY COUNTRIES WILLING TO HELP IT END POVERTY AMONG ITS PEOPLE. AS LONG AS THE KILLINGS CONTINUE, NO CONFERENCE ON POVERTY IS LIKELY TO HELP A REGIME SO COMMITTED TO VIOLENCE." UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00767 01 OF 02 251337Z ¶3. UNDER HEADLINE "EU BULLYING TACTICS GOING TOO FAR," THE BULAWAYO-BASED GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED DAILY (03/25) COMMENTS: "THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU). . .IS TAKING ITS BULLYING TACTICS TOO FAR. IT STILL HOLDS THE ILL-ADVISED BELIEF THAT ITS RACIST MEMBERSHIP HAS THE DIVINE RIGHT TO DECIDE THE FATE OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. MAYBE THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO REMIND THE EU THAT ZIMBABWE IS NO LONGER A BRITISH COLONY TO BE TOLD AT EVERY TURN WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT. WE DEMAND THAT THE BRITISH AND THEIR RACIST FRIENDS ABANDON THE BLACKMAIL THEY ARE TRYING TO APPLY ON ZIMBABWE BECAUSE IT IS A WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES. NOW, WE WANT TO BE RESPECTED AS AN EQUAL MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS." ¶4. UNDER HEADLINE "MUDENGE KNOWS HE IS TALKING NONSENSE," THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE STANDARD" (03/24) COMMENTS: "DR. STAN MUDENGE, ZIMBABWE'S FOREIGN MINISTER, HAS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT JOB, CONSIDERING ALL THE CLEANING UP HE HAS TO DO AFTER MUGABE. BUT THAT'S NO EXCUSE FOR HIM TO TALK NONSENSE. HIS RESPONSE THIS WEEK TO ZIMBABWE'S SUSPENSION FROM THE COMMONWEALTH IS A CASE IN POINT. IN AN ANGRY RESPONSE TO THE DECISION BY THE COMMONWEALTH TROIKA ON ZIMBABWE TO SUSPEND THE COUNTRY FROM THE COMMONWEALTH FOR A YEAR. . .MUDENGE FLATLY STATED THAT THE ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT REJECTED THE REPORT. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 00767 01 OF 02 251337Z MUDENGE SAYS THE DECISION TO SUSPEND ZIMBABWE FROM THE COMMONWEALTH FOR 12 MONTHS UNDERMINED THE CREDIBILITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH. WE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT THE COMMONWEALTH'S REPUTATION WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE IN JEOPARDY HAD IT NOT TAKEN ACTION AGAINST A TRUANT ADMINISTRATION THAT OVER A GOOD 36 MONTHS HAS PERFECTED THE ART OF DUCKING AND DIVING. .NO ACTION SHOULD BE SPARED IN BRINGING TO BOOK A POWER HUNGRY DESPOT WHO WILL USE ALL LEGAL AND ILLEGAL MEANS TO REMAIN IN POWER, LONG PAST HIS SELL-BY DATE." ¶5. UNDER HEADLINE "WHY MUST THE BRUTALITY AND KILLINGS CONTINUE?" THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" (03/23) COMMENTS: ".MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE HAVE DIED SINCE THE VOTING ENDED, ALMOST TWO WEEKS GO. MANY OTHERS BEAR FRESH SCARS INFLICTED ON THEM BY SUPPORTERS OF THE RULING PARTY OR SO-CALLED WAR VETERANS. YET OTHERS HAVE BECOME INTERNAL REFUGEES, DISPLACED FROM THEIR UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ0113 PAGE 01 HARARE 00767 02 OF 02 251337Z ACTION INR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00 IRM-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /004W -------------- 7A0D99 251337Z /38 P 251320Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1311 INFO NSC WASHDC AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK AMEMBASSY GABORONE AMEMBASSY LILONGWE AMEMBASSY LONDON UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000767 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 AFTER PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 00767 02 OF 02 251337Z RURAL HOMES BY A WAVE OF RETRIBUTION UNLEASHED BY GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS. THE ONLY CRIME TO HAVE BEEN COMMITTED BY VICTIMS OF THE CURRENT 'CARAVAN' OF TERROR IS THAT THEY ARE SUSPECTED OF BEING MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION MDC, LEGAL OPPOSITION PARTY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE UNITY WHEN COERCION IS EMPLOYED INSTEAD OF PERSUASION. IT IS CONTRADICTORY TO RECOGNIZE THE DIVERSITY OF OPINIONS AND YET AT THE SAME TIME SEEK TO DENY OR PUNISH ANYONE HOLDING VIEWS CONTRARY TO ONE'S OWN. IF MUGABE WAS SINCERE IN HIS CALL FOR UNITY, AND IF HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT HE ENJOYED THE CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT IF THE 56,2 PERCENT OF THE 2,9 MILLION VOTERS IN THE COUNTRY WHO TOOK PART IN THE ELECTION, THEN HE WOULD HAVE STARTED BY DISMANTLING THE (TORTURE CAMPS) SET UP BY ZANU PF YOUTH BRIGADES. HE WOULD ALSO HAVE ORDERED THE POLICE TO CLAMP DOWN ON THOSE RUNNING AROUND THE COUNTRY CAUSING MAYHEM AND BEHAVING AS IF THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW. HE WOULD HAVE ORDERED THE SECURITY AGENTS TO ENSURE ALL ACTS OF LAWLESSNESS AND THE FARM INVASIONS STOPPED FORTHWITH. BUT THERE IS A FAR MORE SINISTER INFERENCE THAT CAN BE MADE HERE. IT IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DARING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO OSTRACIZE IT SO THAT IT BECOMES FREE OF ANY INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATION TO UPHOLD HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS THAT GO WITH A GOVERNMENT THAT IS A MEMBER OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY. INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION WOULD CREATE THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD THEN BE FREE TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00767 02 OF 02 251337Z TERRORIZE AND SUBJUGATE ITS OWN PEOPLE." ¶6. UNDER HEADLINE "THE PEOPLE WANT PEACE," THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY "THE ZIMBABWE MIRROR" (03/22) COMMENTS: ".IT IS CRUCIAL FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE THAT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI AND HIS FOLLOWERS INDULGE IN A CAREFUL AND HONEST ASSESSMENT OF BOTH THE BALANCE OF FORCES AND THE MOOD OF THE MASS OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AS WE HAVE ALREADY STATED. . .PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THE POLITICS OF CONFRONTATION AND SIMPLY WANT PEACE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET DOWN TO THE BREAD AND BUTTER ISSUES THAT ARE ALREADY SO CRUCIAL. AS PRESIDENTS MBEKI AND OBASANJO INTIMATED EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE MDC AND ZANU PF SHOULD PUT ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES AND ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THE DIALOGUE WILL BEGIN SOON IN PARLIAMENT, WITH THE DEBATE TOWARDS A NEW CONSTITUTION, TOWARDS A NEW ERA FOR ZIMBABWE." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >