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

061552Z Mar 02


                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9488

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ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  WHA-00   DS-00    
      EAP-00   EUR-00   VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00   
      M-00     DCP-01   NSAE-00  SSO-00   SS-00    EPAE-00  ECA-00   
      DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00  SAS-00     /004W
                  ------------------705F0C  061559Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1117
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000591 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, A/S KANSTEINER AND PDAS BELLAMY; ALSO FOR 
AF/S 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/04 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PREL KDEM ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWEAN ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE SETS 
         THE STAGE FOR THE VOTE, ZANU-PF STYPE 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00591  01 OF 02  061559Z 
CLASSIFIED BY DCM REWHITEHEAD DUE TO 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY.  THE TWO TOP OFFICIALS OF ZIMBABWE'S 
ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION (ESC) BRIEFED 
INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 
6 ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE MARCH 9 AND 10 VOTE.  IN A 
SURREAL NINETY-MINUTE SPEECH, THE RECENTLY APPOINTED 
NUMBER TWO OF THE ESC, A PRO-ZANU-PF BRIGADIER, PAINTED 
A ROSY PICTURE OF ELECTION READINESS AND DUCKED KEY 
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LOCATION OF POLLING PLACES, WHAT 
LOCAL OBSERVERS WILL BE ACCREDITED, AND EXACTLY WHAT 
ELECTORAL RULES ARE IN FORCE.  WITH LESS THAN SEVENTY- 
TWO HOURS BEFORE THE POLLS OPEN, THE GOZ STALL STRATEGY 
HAS EFFECTIVELY ENSURED THAT ELECTION-DAY 
DISORGANIZATION AND UNCERTAINTY WILL REIGN.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
ELECTION COMMISSIONER:  "IT'S NOT OUR FAULT!" 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) ESC COMMISSIONER GULA-NDEBELE KICKED OFF THE 
PRE-ELECTION BRIEFING WITH A SHORT SPEECH THAT STRESSED 
THAT THE ESC ONLY SUPERVISES ELECTIONS, AND THAT THE 
REGISTRAR GENERAL IS FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SMOOTH 
COMPORTMENT OF THE VOTE.  WITH THIS HOT-POTATO IN THE 
AIR, GULA-NDEBELE MADE SOME VAGUE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW 
POLITICAL PARTIES CONTESTING THE ELECTION "PERCEIVE" -- 
HE EMPHASIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARILY SO -- THAT 
NGOS ARE PARTISAN.  THIS HAD FORCED THE ESC TO SEARCH 
FOR NON-PARTISAN GROUPS TO ACT AS OBSERVERS.  HE 
CONCLUDED THAT SINCE ALL THE POLITICAL PARTIES MISTRUST 
THE BONA FIDES OF CIVIL SERVANTS, THIS MAKES THEM THE 
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PAGE 03        HARARE  00591  01 OF 02  061559Z 
LOGICAL CHOICE TO SERVE AS MONITORS. 
 
THE BRIGADIER DECLAIMS 
---------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) NEXT IN LINE WAS THE ESC DEPUTY COMMISSIONER 
NYIKAYARAMBA, AN ERSTWHILE ZDF BRIGADIER WHO RETIRED TWO 
MONTHS PAST TO ASSUME HIS PRESENT ROLE.  THE BRIGADIER 
GOT OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT WITH SEVERAL DELEGATIONS BY 
ANNOUNCING THAT ALL AFRICAN CHIEFS OF MISSION AND THE 
HEADS OF OBSERVER GROUPS, AFRICAN ONLY, WERE INVITED TO 
A FOLLOW-ON SESSION IN AN ADJACENT MEETING HALL AS SOON 
AS THE CURRENT MEETING HAD ENDED. 
 
¶4. (C) NYIKAYARAMBA PRAISED OBSERVERS AS THE "EYES AND 
EARS" OF THE ESC, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN WHY THE 
ESC WILL BE LARGELY BLIND AND DEAF ON ELECTION DAY.  HE 
STRESSED THAT THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF THE ELECTION WAS LAND 
INEQUITY AND THEN DESCRIBED AT LENGTH ELEVEN COMPETING 
PARTIES, INCLUDING SEVERAL OF WHICH WE WERE UNAWARE. 
THE BRIGADIER THEN MADE A NUMBER OF STATEMENTS THAT WE 
WOULD CHARACTERIZE AS INACCURATE, FOR WANT OF A BETTER 
WORD.  TO WIT: 
 
-- THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POLLING STATIONS HAS EXPANDED 
FROM 3,904 FOR THE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS TO 4,548 
IN 2002.  NYIKAYARAMBA DID NOT ADDRESS WHY PRO-MDC 
(OPPOSITION) URBAN AREAS HAVE LOST LARGE NUMBERS OF 
POLLING STATIONS, ALTHOUGH AN ESCA HANDOUT DID STATE 
THAT PRO-ZANU-PF (MUGABE) RURAL AREAS HAVE RECEIVED 
ADDITIONAL STATIONS "TO SHORTEN WALKING DISTANCES."  IT 
HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO CONFIRM THE ACTUAL NUMBERS, SINCE 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  00591  01 OF 02  061559Z 
THE ESC HAS NOT YET RELEASED THE OFFICIAL LIST OF 
POLLING STATIONS, ALTHOUGH -- TWO DAYS OUT -- 
NYIKAYARAMBA ASSURED THAT THIS IS IN THE WORKS. 
 
-- REQUESTING WILLING SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF ON THE 
PART OF INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS, NYIKAYARAMBA STATED 
THAT THE ESC SHOULD BE VIEWED AS A FULLY INDEPENDENT 
ELECTORAL COMMISSION FULFILLING INTERNATIONAL NORMS.  HE 
DID NOT ADDRESS THE NEED FOR PRESIDENTIAL CONFIRMATION 
OF THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS, HIS OWN RECENT APPOINTMENT, 
NOR THE UTTER LACK OF OPPOSITION REPRESENTATION. 
 
-- NYIKAYARAMBA STATED THAT THE ESC HAS ACCREDITED 566 
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS AND LISTED THESE BY GROUP AND 
NATIONALITY.  HE TOOK SOME POETIC LICENSE IN THIS 
EXERCISE, CITING 45 JAPANESE OBSERVERS (THERE ARE FIVE), 
29 U.S. (25), 28 NIGERIAN (12), ETC.  IN ADDITION, HE 
LISTED EU BILATERAL DIPLOMATS WHO HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO BE 
ACCREDITED, THE LOCAL EU COMMUNITY HAVING FINALLY MADE 
COMMON CAUSE WHEN EU OBSERVER MISSION HEAD PIERRE 
SCHORRI WAS EXPELLED AND THE EU DELEGATION FOLLOWED ON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9491 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00591  02 OF 02  061559Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  WHA-00   DS-00 
      EAP-00   EUR-00   VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00 
      M-00     NSAE-00  SSO-00   SS-00    EPAE-00  DSCC-00  DRL-02 
      NFAT-00  SAS-00     /003W 
                  ------------------705F18  061559Z /38 
O 061552Z MAR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1118 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000591 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, A/S KANSTEINER AND PDAS BELLAMY; ALSO FOR 
AF/S 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/04 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PREL KDEM ZI
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWEAN ELECTORAL SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE SETS 
         THE STAGE FOR THE VOTE, ZANU-PF STYPE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00591  02 OF 02  061559Z 
HIS HEELS. 
 
-- NYIKAYARAMBA SAID THAT THE ESC HAS ALREADY SUCCEEDED 
IN ACCREDITING 23 LOCAL OBSERVERS, INCLUDING NINE 
PERSONS AFFILIATED WITH THE PRO-ZANU-PF RUMP TRADE UNION 
HEADED BY WAR VETERAN LEADER JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA.  NONE OF 
THE 14,000 TRAINED ZIMBABWE ELECTION SUPPORT NETWORK 
FIGURED ON THIS LIST.  IN RESPONSE TO A QUERY, 
NYIKAYARAMBA REPLIED THAT HE COULD ONLY ACCREDIT THOSE 
INVITED BY THE JUSTICE MINISTER, ANOTHER HOT POTATO IN 
THE AIR.  (NOTE: IN THE TWO DAYS REMAINING, THE ESC'S 
TWO COMPUTERS DEDICATED TO PRODUCING CREDENTIAL BADGES 
ARE CAPABLE OF ISSUING 2,000 BADGES, USING THE 
OPTIMISTIC FIGURE OF ONE ISSUED PER MINUTE.  IN A 
CLASSIC CATCH 22, THE ZESN FOLK MAY EITHER WAIT IN 
HARARE FOR CREDENTIALS, AND MISS THE ELECTIONS, OR 
DEPLOY TO THE PROVINCES WITHOUT CREDENTIALS NEEDED TO 
LET THEM OBSERVE EFFECTIVELY.  END NOTE.) 
 
-- NYIKAYARAMBA GOT HIS BIGGEST TITTER WHEN HE ANNOUNCED 
THAT THE ESC DEPLORES POLITICALLY MOTIVATED VIOLENCE AND 
IS "CARRYING OUT INVESTIGATIONS OF ISOLATED INCIDENTS OF 
VIOLENCE." 
 
-- NYIKAYARAMBA ANNOUNCED THAT ELECTION OBSERVERS MAY 
SEEK COPIES OF THE CONSTITUTION AND THE ELECTORAL ACT 
FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS.  HE DID NOT 
REFER TO THE MARCH 1 GAZETTING OF THE AMENDED ELECTORAL 
ACT OF JANUARY 2002, WHICH WAS STRICKEN DOWN LAST WEEK 
BY THE SUPREME COURT, ONLY TO BE REINTRODUCED AND 
GAZETTED AS THE LAW IN FORCE BY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00591  02 OF 02  061559Z 
 
-- THE BRIGADIER SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN 5.4 MILLION 
REGISTERED VOTERS AT THE TIME OF THE DECEMBER 27 CUTOFF 
DATE.  HOWEVER, IN A QUEST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY 
QUALIFIED ZIMBABWEAN WAS ABLE TO VOTE, REGISTRATION HAD 
BEEN REOPENED AND LATECOMERS WOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE FROM 
SUPPLEMENTAL LISTS.  HE DID NOT COMMENT ON REPORTS THAT 
REGISTRATION HAS CONTINUED IN RURAL, TRADITIONALLY PRO- 
ZANU-PF AREAS BUT NOT IN THE MDC'S URBAN STRONGHOLDS. 
 
Q AND A SESSION 
--------------- 
¶5.  (C) AFTER DEMONSTRATING A MOCK-UP POLLING STATION 
AND HOW VOTING IS DONE IN ZIMBABWE, THE ESC FIELDED 
QUESTIONS.  WHEN ASKED WHEN THEY WOULD PUBLISH THE LIST 
OF POLLING PLACES, THEY STATED THAT IT WOULD BE PRINTED 
IN THE NEWSPAPERS, ALTHOUGH THEY COULD NOT SAY EXACTLY 
WHEN.  WHEN ASKED ABOUT WHEN LISTS OF DOMESTIC OBSERVERS 
WOULD BE RELEASED, THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW, 
BUT WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE THIS UP WITH THE JUSTICE 
MINISTER.  WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE REDUCTION OF POLLING 
STATIONS IN URBAN AREAS AND THE NUMBER OF VOTERS EACH 
COULD PROCESS PER HOUR, THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY DID NOT 
HAVE THESE STATISTICS IN HAND.  HOWEVER, THE OBSERVERS 
SHOULD REST ASSURED THAT THE GOZ HAS AMPLE EXPERIENCE 
WITH SUCH MATTERS, AND CAN EXTEND VOTING HOURS, IF IT 
COMES TO THAT. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶6. (C) THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS ILL EQUIPPED WITH POLITE 
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PAGE 04        HARARE  00591  02 OF 02  061559Z 
ADJECTIVES TO FULLY DESCRIBE THE BRIEFING SESSION, 
ALTHOUGH OUTRAGEOUS, MIND-BOGGLING, AND DEPLORABLE DO 
SPRING TO MIND.  THE ESC HAS PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN 
THE GOZ'S STALLING TACTICS, AN EFFECTIVE REARGUARD 
ACTION THAT, IT WOULD APPEAR, HAS MANAGED TO KEEP THE 
LARGE CONTINGENT OF DOMESTIC OBSERVERS OFF THE FIELD. 
AT THIS POINT, TO MIX METAPHORS, THE ESC HAS SET THE 
ELECTORAL STAGE TO THE INCUMBENT'S ADVANTAGE AND 
DELIVERED THE OFFICIAL ESC LINE.  ALL THAT REMAINS TO BE 
SEEN IS WHETHER OR NOT THE ZIMBABWEAN ELECTORATE HAS 
BEEN SUFFICIENTLY COWED TO PLAY OUT ITS DESIGNATED PART 
IN THE FINAL SCENE OF THE ZANU-PF SCRIPT. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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