TSVANGIRAI BRIEFS ON MDC STRATEGY

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001139

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR B.WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO USAID/OTI FOR J. SHERMAN AND J. RIGBY
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC EAID ZI
SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI BRIEFS ON MDC STRATEGY

Classified By: CDA Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai briefed
Embassy Harare representatives in Gabarone on December 18 and
December 20 on a 60-day strategic plan he hopes to launch in
early January. The plan will include continued negotiations
on power sharing, efforts to channel humanitarian assistance
to the needy, diplomatic outreach, an information campaign, a
"Friends of Zimbabwe" international summit, and MDC party
building. Tsvangirai said he would return to Zimbabwe after
receiving his passport (which he has since received). END
SUMMARY


2. (C) At Tsvangirai's request, representatives of
USAID/Harare's Democracy and Governance unit and
OTI/Washington met with Tsvangirai and senior MDC advisors in
Gabarone on December 18 and December 20 to discuss MDC plans
and how the USG can assist. Tsvangirai expressed his
frustration over the lack of progress in implementing the
Inter-Party Political Agreement signed on September 15 and
said he believed the MDC need to pursue a more pro-active
transitional strategy. The MDC leadership planned to meet in
South Africa on January 5 to finalize a 60-day plan that had
been conceptualized in meetings during the last two months.


3. (C) Outlining the plan, Tsvangirai said the MDC would
continue to participate in power-sharing negotiations and
would attempt to apply more pressure on SADC, the AU, and the
UN to in turn pressure ZANU-PF to equitably share power and
schedule timely and internationally supervised elections.
Additionally, the MDC would attempt to channel humanitarian
assistance to the needy and point out the ineffectiveness of
the GOZ in responding to the humanitarian crisis. The MDC
would speak out more forcefully on the government's human
rights abuses and political prosecutions. Other components
of the strategy were MDC party strengthening and a "Friends
of Zimbabwe" international summit to discuss Zimbabwe's
future and donor assistance.


4. (C) Tsvangirai stated the 60-day plan would require
significant resources that the MDC would seek from donors.
He planned to designate a senior MDC official to help
formulate proposals and serve as a liaison with donors. He
added he hoped to discuss the overall plan as soon as
possible with Ambassador McGee.


5. (C) Regarding his return to Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai said
Mugabe had recently (through intermediaries) invited him to
return to Zimbabwe to resume power-sharing discussions. He
said he wished to return but only after receiving his
passport (which he has since received) and assurances of his
safety and that of other MDC leaders.


6. (C) COMMENT. The MDC has lacked an overall strategy
apart from its participation in negotiations with ZANU-PF,
and we await with interest the specifics of the strategy to
be discussed next week in South Africa. The cornerstone of
any strategy will be the presence of Tsvangirai in Harare to
speak out on humanitarian and human rights issues, and to
provide leadership to his party and supporters. END COMMENT.

DHANANI