MEDIA REACTION ELECTION AFTERMATH; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000972 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER, AF/W, AF/RA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ELECTION AFTERMATH; HARARE ¶1. Under headline "Wade has joined the bootlicking brigade," the government-controlled daily "Chronicle" dedicated its May 22 editorial to denouncing Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade for "discrediting" the outcome Zimbabwe's presidential election. Excerpts: ¶2. "Senegalese President Mr. Abdoulaye Wade recently let the cat out of the bag when he joined the chorus led by Britain and its Western allies in discrediting Zimbabwe's presidential elections. He became the only African head of state to make an adverse statement about the polls that everybody else in their right minds has declared free and fair. His outburst leaves us wondering what the basis of his opinion is, since his country did not participate in the polls. . . An old adage says money is the root of all evil. We know that Mr. Wade has decided to join the bootlicking brigade of countries in the West for a few pieces of silver. What he appears to be oblivious of is the fact that by becoming the bad apple in the African basket, he has pressed a button of self-destruction. We would like to advise Mr. Made to lick the boots of his Western masters without dragging the name of Zimbabwe in mud. "The Senegalese leader should be warned that history has shown that Western countries are good at using African leaders and dumping them as and when it suits them. . . We are also aware that these remarks were made against the background of a meeting to promote the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Maybe Mr. Made was just trying to be a good boy. We would like to urge African states to avoid being divided by Western countries for the sake of donor funds. We do not have to sell each other's souls in order to get funding for NEPAD." WHITEHEAD