MEDIA REACTION COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN ZIM; HARARE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001736 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN ZIM; HARARE ¶1. While an editorial in the September 3 edition of the independent daily "The Daily News" saw the outcome of the weekend urban council elections, in which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) narrowly defeated the ruling ZANU PF party, as a demonstration that Zimbabweans want change, the September 3 edition of the government-controlled daily "The Herald" blamed the overwhelming urban support for the MDC on the travel restrictions imposed on Robert Mugabe and senior members of his government by the United States and the European Union (EU). Excerpts follow: ¶2. Under headline "Gauging the nation's mood" the "Daily News" (09/03),comments: "The results of the weekend urban council elections have once again confirmed the importance to national politics of Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the MDC. Apart from emphasizing that the MDC enjoys significant support from Zimbabweans across racial, tribal and regional lines, the outcome of the polls aptly demonstrated that the people of this country want change in the way they are being governed. The outcome of these elections should help the ruling ZANU PF gauge the mood of the nation. . .The MDC's overwhelming victory, although largely expected, can only be viewed as a vote of no confidence in the ruling party by the people who are most affected by Zimbabwe's worst economic crisis since independence in 1980. . .It must be clear by now, even to the government, that blaming the MDC and `racist imperialistic forces' for all of our problems will simply not wash with the people of Zimbabwe. Clearly no one is falling for this line anymore. Zimbabweans want their problems to be addressed now so that they can move on with the business of living and building a prosperous nation. The government cannot continue to ignore or engage in a tug-of-war with the MDC. . .The outcome of the weekend elections has shown that Zimbabwe is virtually a divided nation, with ZANU PF controlling its traditional rural stronghold while the MDC holds sway over the urban electorate. . .It is important, now more than ever, that Zimbabwe's main political parties begin to make some headway in resolving this unhealthy situation by sitting down to come up with a negotiated political settlement. . . ." ¶3. Under headline "Punishing the innocent, setting Barabbas free?" the "Herald" (09/03) comments: ". . .Once again urban voters voted with their stomachs. We view their failure to vote for the ruling party as protest against economic hardships that include cash shortages, rising prices of basic commodities, shrinking salaries and fuel shortage. However, while there can be no denying that these problems are there and urban dwellers are bearing the brunt, we feel that there is still need to get people to appreciate the real cause of our problems. The economy has been on a steady decline for the past four years. . .but that decline accelerated when the MDC called on the West to impose sanctions on the government and, by extension, the people of Zimbabwe. Those calls were headed and in December 2001 U. S. leader George Bush signed the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Bill into an Act. The Act prompted American agents and organizations the world over not to vote for any financial aid and assistance to Zimbabwe in entities to which they are affiliated. It also authorized Bush to fund a so-called free media in Zimbabwe, which is but a euphemism for media that is anti- government. Over and above this, on February 18 last year, the EU declared sanctions on Zimbabwe, which imposed travel bans on senior government officials. All these steps have aggravated the hardships faced by Zimbabweans. It is in this light that we view the tendency by urban voters to vote and protest against the ZANU PF government while inadvertently placing the MDC in positions of authority as being tantamount to punishing the innocent while letting Barabbas go free. . .While we chide the ruling party for failing to mobilize all its supporters to go and vote, the apathy on the part of MDC supporters cannot escape our attention. In our view, it dramatizes the disillusionment of the urban voters with the MDC's failure to deliver since it started making inroads into Zimbabwe's political arena. . . ." SULLIVAN