DESPITE ROCKY START, CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000588 SIPDIS AF/S FOR B. WALCH DRL FOR N. WILETT ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM ZI SUBJECT: DESPITE ROCKY START, CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS MARCHES ON Classified By: CDA Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The two-day All Stakeholder's Conference concluded successfully on July 14 after getting off to a rocky start July 13 when riot police were called in to assert CONTROL following a disturbance caused by ZANU-PF activists. While much remains to be done, the constitutional process is still on track. The Conference may have been salvaged by a warning issued by Prime Minister Tsvangirai to President Mugabe that the MDC would consider pulling out of the inclusive government if ZANU-PF sabotaged the path towards a new Constitution. END SUMMARY. -------------- ZANU-PF Led Disruption Threatens Conference( -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The two-day All Stakeholder's Conference (ASC) was threatened on July 13 when riot police were called in to assert CONTROL following a large disturbance caused by ZANU-PF youth groups. According to several eye witnesses including pol specialist, the chaos was likely orchestrated by a trio of ZANU-PF officials consisting of Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, President Mugabe's nephew and ZANU-PF MP Patrick Zhuwao, and war veteran leader Joseph Chinotimba, who led youth groups in sining, dancing and chanting political slogans. They then threw objects at House Speaker Lovemore Moyo (MDC-T) during his welcoming remarks. As the situation grew increasingly violent, police were called in and ejected all the participants from the Harare International Conference Center. -------------- (But Mugabe and Tsvangirai Rein in Disorder -------------- ¶3. (SBU) According to Gorden Moyo, the Minister of State in the PM's Office, PM Morgan Tsvangirai met with President Mugabe following the dramatic events of July 13 and made it clear that if ZANU-PF sabotaged the constitutional process, the MDC-T would be forced to consider pulling out of the inclusive government. According to Moyo, this resulted in Mugabe's condemnation of the disturbance during a subsequent joint press conference with Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. Mugabe admonished, "We are here to say that we will not brook any further disturbances in the future. We must have this constitution done, it's a necessity. We feel disturbed and we have a sense of abhorrence with what happened this morning. What happened is not in accordance with the letter and spirit of the global political agreement." ¶4. (SBU) On July 14, security was substantially tighter, and only accredited delegates were allowed into the venue; numerous unaccredited people had been granted entry on July 13 because the registration process had become bogged down. When the substantive meeting finally began, two prominent academics, Professors Phinias Makhurane and Hope Sadza, Qacademics, Professors Phinias Makhurane and Hope Sadza, co-chaired the event. They gave presentations on the objectives of the conference, the process leading to the First ASC and the Second ASC to be held in mid-February. Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga laid out government's role in constitution making. ¶5. (SBU) Twelve thematic areas were identified to be the HARARE 00000588 002 OF 002 topical basis of outreach efforts during the coming four-month consultative phase. They are: Founding Principles of the Constitution; ARMS of the State (principle of the separation of powers); Systems of Governance; Bill of Rights; Women and Youth; Land, Natural Resources and Empowerment; Labor; Elections, Transitional Mechanisms and Independent Commissions; Executive Organs of the State (security forces, Public Service Commission, prisons); Public Finance; Traditional Institutions and Customs; and Religion. Different speakers discussed the key issues that each of the thematic issues would address. The Herald reported on July 15 that Media, War Veterans, Languages and the Disabled were added subsequently, bringing the total number of thematic areas to sixteen. During the next several weeks, the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution will propose the adoption of the thematic areas, assign members to thematic sub-committees and determine a process of public consultation. ¶6. (SBU) The ASC invited 4,000 delegates, but we are unable to confirm the actual number of attendees. Several civil society organizations, including the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA),criticized the heavy presence of political party representatives who accounted for 40 percent of total invitations. Other organizations, including Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR),criticized the general lack of organization. ZLHR was never sent their invitations, but only found them by word of mouth in a stack of civil society invitations at the parliament building two days before the conference. ¶7. (U) Subsequent to the Conference, Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibhebhe of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, NCA President Lovemore Madhuku, and Zimbabwe National Student Union President Clever Bere, all of whose organizations boycotted the Conference, held a press conference and announced their own "Constitutional Convention" to be held on July 27. They hope 3,500 delegates will attend the "people driven" convention. ¶8. (SBU) Not surprisingly, the State-controlled television news broadcaster, following the first day's events, blamed the disruption on the MDC, students, labor and other civic activists. The next day, however, The Herald, while not attributing blame for the disturbance, reported on the press conference, including Mugabe's remarks. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) The disturbance demonstrates that there are ZANU-PF elements that are eager to scuttle a new Constitution even before a first draft is produced. Eric Matinenga, the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs who is coordinating the constitutional process for Cabinet, told us that its future depends in large part on the sincerity and engagement of Mugabe. In his press conference, Mugabe appeared genuinely angered by the disturbance, perhaps Qappeared genuinely angered by the disturbance, perhaps influenced by what he viewed as a national embarrassment and personal slight. However, his repeated statements asserting that the content of the new constitution has already been agreed (reftel) does not suggest that he values a process designed to elicit the views of the Zimbabwean people. END COMMENT. DHANANI