Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07HARARE513
2007-06-11 15:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Harare
Cable title:
ZANU-PF WINS PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION AMID LITTLE
how-toVZCZCXRO1620 RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHSB #0513 1621516 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 111516Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY HARARE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1578 INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1625 RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1492 RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1629 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0288 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0894 RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1257 RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1685 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4096 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1454 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2115 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0754 RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1846
UNCLAS HARARE 000513
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: ZANU-PF WINS PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION AMID LITTLE
INTEREST
REF: A. HARARE 418
B. HARARE 133
UNCLAS HARARE 000513
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: ZANU-PF WINS PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION AMID LITTLE
INTEREST
REF: A. HARARE 418
B. HARARE 133
1. (SBU) As expected (Ref A),the ruling party won the Zaka
East Parliamentary by-election on June 9, after both factions
of the MDC boycotted the race. ZANU-PF candidate retired
Brigadier General Livingstone Chineka polled 11,162 votes
against only 2,376 combined for two smaller parties.
Chineka, who is resident in Masvingo, resigned from the Army
on May 9th, two days before the nomination court sat.
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) staff told pol
assistant that the polling was characterized by a low voter
turnout - 27 percent according to observers - and by an
unusually high number of assisted voters.
2. (SBU) Despite the low turnout and ZANU-PF's wide margin of
victory, ZESN field observers witnessed a number of
irregularities, including a high number of assisted voters at
some polling stations. One ZESN observer reported that an
elderly lady, who was assisted by government polling agents,
told him that she told the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC)
officers that she wanted to vote for "any party other than
ZANU-PF". According to her, the officers did not follow her
instructions. At one polling station 68 out of the 451
voters were assisted to vote.
--------------
Comment
--------------
3. (SBU) The MDC boycott all but ensured a ZANU-PF victory,
but the participation of two smaller opposition parties gave
this by-election a false legitimacy. This is the second
by-election in a row (Ref B) won by recently retired military
officers. Combined with unconfirmed reports that army
officers are working as ZEC officials during elections, this
is a further indication of the trend toward militarizing the
state.
DELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR S. HILL
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: ZANU-PF WINS PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION AMID LITTLE
INTEREST
REF: A. HARARE 418
B. HARARE 133
1. (SBU) As expected (Ref A),the ruling party won the Zaka
East Parliamentary by-election on June 9, after both factions
of the MDC boycotted the race. ZANU-PF candidate retired
Brigadier General Livingstone Chineka polled 11,162 votes
against only 2,376 combined for two smaller parties.
Chineka, who is resident in Masvingo, resigned from the Army
on May 9th, two days before the nomination court sat.
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) staff told pol
assistant that the polling was characterized by a low voter
turnout - 27 percent according to observers - and by an
unusually high number of assisted voters.
2. (SBU) Despite the low turnout and ZANU-PF's wide margin of
victory, ZESN field observers witnessed a number of
irregularities, including a high number of assisted voters at
some polling stations. One ZESN observer reported that an
elderly lady, who was assisted by government polling agents,
told him that she told the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC)
officers that she wanted to vote for "any party other than
ZANU-PF". According to her, the officers did not follow her
instructions. At one polling station 68 out of the 451
voters were assisted to vote.
--------------
Comment
--------------
3. (SBU) The MDC boycott all but ensured a ZANU-PF victory,
but the participation of two smaller opposition parties gave
this by-election a false legitimacy. This is the second
by-election in a row (Ref B) won by recently retired military
officers. Combined with unconfirmed reports that army
officers are working as ZEC officials during elections, this
is a further indication of the trend toward militarizing the
state.
DELL