Cablegate: Media Reaction Zim Presidential Poll; Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

081123Z Mar 02

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8329

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ACTION INR-00

INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 IO-00 L-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00
TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00
SAS-00 /007W
------------------71C7A0 082343Z /30
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1133
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000617

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI
FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ZIM PRESIDENTIAL POLL; HARARE
UNCLASSIFIED

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1. AS THE COUNTDOWN TO ZIMBABWE'S PRESIDENTIAL POLL
COMES TO A CLOSE, THIS ELECTION CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
EDITORIAL COLUMNS IN MOST MAINSTREAM NEWSPAPERS.
SAMPLES OF THE EDITORIALS FOLLOW:

2. UNDER HEADLINE "THE CHOICE IS SIMPLE: BETWEEN A
FIST AND A PALM," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE
INDEPENDENT WEEKLY THE "ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT" COMMENTS:

"THE CHOICE THIS WEEKEND COULDN'T BE MORE SIMPLE:
BETWEEN THE FIST ON THE ONE HAND AND THE OUTSTRETCHED
PALM ON THE OTHER. BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND PEACE. THIS
IS A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SYSTEMS.
BETWEEN A BLIND AND MALIGNANT NATIONALISM ROOTED IN THE
PAST, AND A FUTURE FULL OF PROMISE BASED ON DEMOCRACY
AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. MAKE NO MISTAKE, SHOULD
PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE WIN ANOTHER SIX-YEAR TERM
ZIMBABWEANS WILL BE DEPRIVED OF THEIR HOPE FOR
SOMETHING BETTER. . ."

3. UNDER HEADLINE "REPORTS OF RIGGING MERE
FABRICATIONS," THE MARCH 8 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-
CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD" COMMENTS:

".ALREADY, THE OPPOSITION MDC AND ITS WESTERN MASTERS
HAVE LAUNCHED A MASSIVE PROPAGANDA BLITZ THAT THIS
WEEKEND'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL BE A FRAUD. . .
THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED, FOR IT IS PART OF THEIR AGENDA
TO CRITICIZE ANYTHING THAT IS NOT IN THEIR FAVOR. . .
WE APPEAL TO ALL REGISTERED VOTERS TO TURN UP IN THEIR
UNCLASSIFIED

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THOUSANDS AND CAST THEIR VOTES TOMORROW AND SUNDAY.
THEY SHOULD IGNORE WHAT THE OTHER FORCES ARE SAYING.
THEY ARE ONLY BENT ON DISTURBING ZIMBABWE'S PEACE.
ZIMBABWEANS NEED TO GIVE AN EMPHATIC NO TO THOSE WHO
WANT TO REVERSE THE GAINS OF INDEPENDENCE AND TO RE-
COLONIZE THE COUNTRY. WE ARE SURE THAT WHEN ALL THIS
HULLABALOO IS OVER, ZIMBABWEANS WILL HAVE BEEN DECLARED
THE WINNER. WHAT ZIMBABWEANS DESPERATELY NEED IS PEACE
AND CALM."

4. AFTER RUNNING AN ARTICLE ACCUSING THE UNITED
STATES AND BRITAIN OF MASTERMINDING "A MAJOR MILITARY
OFFENSIVE" AGAINST THE MUGABE ADMINISTRATION IF IT
REMAINS IN POWER AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL POLL, THE
BULAWAYO GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE"
DEDICATED ITS MARCH 8 EDITORIAL TO CALLING ON
ZIMBABWEANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE LIVING IN MATABELELAND,
TO RESIST BEING PLUNGED INTO ANOTHER ARMED CONFLICT.
UNDER HEADLINE "SAY NO TO WAR," THE PAPER COMMENTS:

". . .FORMER COLONIAL MASTERS BRITAIN AND THEIR RACIST
COUSINS, THE UNITED STATES, ARE PREPARING A MILITARY
ATTACK ON ZIMBABWE. ONCE AGAIN MATABELELAND IS BEING
USED AS THE SCAPEGOAT. THE DISTURBANCES IN THE EARLY
1980S. . .ARE BEING USED AS THE 'REASON' FOR THE
INSURGENCY. TO PLAN MILITARY ACTION BASED ON FLIMSY
'EVIDENCE' AND A HISTORY THAT ALL CONCERNED ARE TRYING
TO RESOLVE AMICABLY IS HYPOCRISY AT ITS WORST. WE
DEMAND THAT BRITAIN AND THE U.S. COME CLEAN ON THIS ONE
FOR ZIMBABWEANS WILL NOT JUST LOOK WHILE THEY ATTACK
US. . . BRITAIN AND THE U.S. ARE BACK TO THEIR EVIL
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 HARARE 00617 082343Z
WAYS. THEY ALWAYS GO FOR THE TRIBAL CARD. THEY HAVE
DONE SO IN BURUNDI, SOMALIA, ANGOLA AND RWANDA. THE
NEXT TARGET IS ZIMBABWE. . . THIS TIME THE PEOPLE OF
MATABELELAND SHOULD VOTE EN MASSE AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO
RETURN THEM TO WAR. THEY SHOULD SAY NO TO WAR."

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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