MDC CONSOLIDATES PLATFORM AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 002455 SIPDIS NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER & D. TITLEBAUM LONDON FOR C. GURNEY PARIS FOR C. NEARY NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON PHUM SOCI ZI MDC SUBJECT: MDC CONSOLIDATES PLATFORM AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET POSTING. PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Under the firm leadership of Party President Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC's national conference in Harare December 20-21 yielded a comprehensive policy platform and "blueprint" for national recovery. The party reiterated its commitment to unconditional talks with the ruling party but confirmed plans to use mass action in 2004 even as the parties talked. Party statements were supportive of South African President Mbeki's efforts to facilitate dialogue. The party and civil society groups undertook to coordinate on shared objectives in their contentious relations with the state. END SUMMARY Party Exhibits Organizational Skills -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Built on the theme "Courage and Hope Overcome Fear", the party conference brought together roughly 1,000 delegates from all over the country. Presiding over the event were Chairman Isaac Matongo, President Morgan Tsvangirai, Secretary-General Welshman Ncube, Deputy Secretary General Gift Chimanakire, and Treasurer Fletcher Dhulini Ncube (attending to his ill wife, Vice-President Gibson Sibanda was the only of the party's six senior figures absent). According to Shadow Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs David Coltart, the Harare event was considerably more organized than the party's last national conference, held in Gweru in 2000. Aside from audio problems that severely distorted the first five minutes of the President's keynote address, the event proceeded with few hitches and wrapped up ahead of schedule on Sunday afternoon in order to permit the early departure of delegates with long distances to travel. ¶3. (SBU) The party circulated a host of papers, including a "National Council Report", "Values, Goals and Policies of the MDC", "The Current Crisis in Zimbabwe and the MDC's Views on the Way Forward: The Blueprint", and a working draft of "From Crisis to Democratic Human-Centered Development: Programs of the MDC" (including elaboration of the party's "RESTART" economic program, a final version of which was not circulated). (The Embassy has e-mailed the papers to AF/S.) Developed over the past year largely under the direction of party's Secretary for Policy and Research Trudy Stevenson, the papers flesh out the party's policies on the economy, land reform, mining, industry/trade, tourism, environment, infrastructure, energy, transport, communications, water, labor, health/HIV/AIDS, education, justice, local government, defense, youth, and international affairs. Land Reform -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Particularly noteworthy were the party statements on land reform, the ruling party's central issue. The party reiterated that it would accept neither the status quo, nor the status quo ante. Stressing the centrality of tenure security and property rights, Tsvangirai pledged to "abolish the dual agrarian structure" by extending the use of title deeds in communal areas. In keeping with earlier descriptions of the party's approach to land reform, he articulated an approach involving an audit by a Land Commission, leading to rationalization of land allocation. Anticipating Broad Alliance -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Among the themes stressed by President Tsvangirai's keynote address (e-mailed to AF/S) was the need for a broad alliance across organizations and communities to undergird any future mass action. Civil society representatives from the National Constitutional Assembly, the Zimbabwe Conference of Trade Unions, and others issuing statements to the gathering in open session played to this theme, expressing solidarity with the party's efforts to restore the nation but stressing the need to coordinate and consult with civil society. Tsvangirai reiterated the importance of engagement and unity with "the people" in his closing remarks. He and other speakers emphasized the party's commitment to unconditional dialogue with ZANU-PF but reserved the option of mass action to press the ruling party to the table. In his closing press conference, Tsvangirai elaborated that the party would employ "civil disobedience, demonstrations, stay always, and boycotts of businesses." Encouragement of International Efforts -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Tsvangirai's keynote address and several policy papers highlighted the importance of international engagement in effecting dialogue. Tsvangirai highlighted events at the recent CHOGM in Abuja as vindicating the MDC. He encouraged efforts by South African President Mbeki and Nigerian President Obasanjo to bring ZANU-PF to the table. Going beyond his printed text, Tsvangirai elaborated briefly on Mugabe's betrayal of Mbeki and stressed the party's willingness to work with Mbeki. Transparency Showcased in Word, Deed -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Speakers repeatedly stressed the party's core values and how they differed in concept and practice from ZANU-PF's. The delegates were constantly reminded that the MDC was a party that stood on principle and the leadership asserted that it would not tolerate within the party tactics employed by the ruling party. Tsvangirai vowed to install a culture that encouraged debate and discussion at every level. He put these words into action when the national council report was presented. Soon after it was read, one of the delegates stood up to adopt it. Tsvangirai said, "Not so fast. We are here to debate this and not to rubber stamp it." A four-hour discussion ensued as delegates went from paragraph to paragraph through the entire report. ¶8. (SBU) Tsvangirai told the conference that the MDC was committed to "not merely replacing the elites in ZANU-PF with new ones from MDC but to installing a completely new political culture." On many occasions he referred to the party's commitment to good government, a tolerant society, a multi-party political culture, and a place where human rights are observed and respected. When the time came for the election of a new national executive, Tsvangirai castigated the party at length about a rumored vote-buying scheme and warned that anyone distributing money would be disqualified. ¶9. (SBU) According to suspended Harare councilor Maiamba and Innocent Chigonda, Tsvangirai's lawyer in the treason trial, Shadow Finance Minister Tapiwa Mashakada and Harare Mayor Elias Mudzuri were those involved in the the vote- buying scheme publicly addressed by Tsvangirai. Mashakada also passed around a pamphlet that attacked Renson Gasella, who ended up winning the seat, by accusing him of being responsible for Tsvangirai's treason trial. In the end, Mudzuri withdrew from the election and threw his support behind Mashakada. After Tsvangirai's reprimand, however, Mashakada lost 7-4 (one vote per province) to Gasella. Mrs. Chitsa and Kabela Macheba also ran but received no votes. Gender Tension -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Tsvangirai stressed the importance of equal opportunity for women in the party on numerous occasions in his opening speech and throughout deliberations. On the last day, however, when voting took place for a vacant seat on the national executive, the woman candidate received no votes. Lucia Matabenga, the head of the women's assembly, declared to the conference "Come general elections it will be the same thing. All men and no women. There is no place in the MDC for gender equity. By block voting by province, the women are disenfranchised. Shame on you, MDC." Tsvangirai responded that they would consider this in the next election, and after the meeting indicated that the party would have to develop a mechanism to include women more meaningfully. Comment -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Like the ZANU-PF party conference that preceded it by two weeks, the MDC event featured its share of energetic presentations, singing, slogan-chanting, and varying levels of enthusiasm among the membership. While the MDC affair generally seemed more spontaneous than the ZANU-PF exercise, both suffered from a palpable sense of frustration and powerlessness in the face of the country's political stalemate. A question posed to poloff by one of the party faithful at the conference's conclusion testified to an underlying drift from politics in Zimbabwe: "How can I emigrate to the United States?" ¶12. (SBU) This conference's inclusive debating process and value-oriented voting process highlighted stark differences in MDC and ZANU-PF political cultures -- and therein lies the rub. For all of its often impressive exposition of issues and diagnoses for Zimbabwe's myriad crises, the MDC remains fundamentally challenged by the environment of stalemate here. How does an opposition party committed to non-violence and rule-of-law play ball with a ruling party impervious to domestic and international opprobrium and the increasing suffering of its populace? How can an opposition party energize an intimidated or apathetic populace that is increasingly absorbed with the daily challenge of making ends meet? Going into 2004, the party's response to these questions appears to lie largely in enhanced coordination with civil society and more sustained effort by the international community. SULLIVAN