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

091155Z Mar 02

 

                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO6583

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ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    EUR-00   
      UTED-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-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  SNIS-00  NISC-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   
      DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00     /007W
                  ------------------71EC80  091350Z /03    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1155
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000629 
 
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 ZIMBABWE: TIME TO DECIDE; 

 
¶1.   ON THE FIRST DAY OF ZIMBABWE'S TWO-DAY 
   PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN ZIMBABWE, THE BULAWAYO-BASED 
   GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "CHRONICLE" CARRIED TWO 
   EDITORIALS URGING VOTERS NOT TO VOTE FOR OPPOSITION MDC 
   LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI.  EXCERPTS FOLLOW: 
 
¶2.   UNDER HEADLINE "VOTE AGAINST NEO-COLONIALISM," THE 
   PAPER COMMENTS: 
 
   ". . .IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL SONS AND DAUGHTERS 
   OF THE SOIL STAND UP AND WITH ONE VOICE TELL 
   BRITAIN'S TONY BLAIR AND GEORGE W. BUSH OF AMERICA 
   TO MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS BY VOTING FOR THE RULING 
   PARTY CANDIDATE, ROBERT MUGABE.  ANYTHING SHORT OF 
   THIS WILL BE A SURRENDER OF OUR HARD-WON 
   INDEPENDENCE AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY TO OUR 
   FORMER COLONIAL MASTER BRITAIN, WHICH HAS FIELDED 
   MDC LEADER MORGAN TSVANGIRAI.  OUR EMPHATIC VOTE 
   SHOULD SEND AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE TO THE BRITISH AND 
   THE AMERICANS THAT ZIMBABWE IS NOT FOR SALE. . . 
   IF WE MESS UP BY VOTING FOR NEO-COLONIALISM, THEN 
   WE WOULD HAVE COMMITTED THE MAJORITY OF ZIMBABWEANS 
   WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE TO DECADES OF 
   DENIGRATION.  GIVING AWAY OUR SOVEREIGNTY WILL BE 
   DERELICTION OF DUTY AND A BETRAYAL OF THE TRUST 
   BESTOWED ON US BY OUR CHILDREN AND FUTURE 
   GENERATIONS. . .  WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW POLITICS OF 
   THE STOMACH OR PROTESTS BASED ON SOME HISTORICAL 
   INCIDENTS TO GUIDE OUR DECISION TO VOTE FOR 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00629  091350Z 
   SERVITUDE. . .  LET US DEFEND OUR INDEPENDENCE BY 
   VOTING FOR LAND, UNITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY." 
 
¶3.   UNDER HEADLINE "LET'S BURY TSVANGIRAI," THE SECOND 
   EDITORIAL READS: 
 
   ". . .THE FACT THAT MR. TSVANGIRAI VIGOROUSLY 
   CAMPAIGNED FOR SANCTIONS AND POWER BLACKOUTS, 
   SOMETHING THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE ORDINARY MAN IN 
   THE STREET AT A TIME WHEN THE ELECTORATE IS 
   BATTLING WITH ARTIFICIAL SHORTAGES, SHOWS HOW SUCH 
   A MAN SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED TO RUN THE COUNTRY. . . 
   WHEN ZIMBABWE WAS TAKEN AWAY BY WHITES, IT IS THE 
   OPEN HAND THAT GAVE IT AWAY.  NOW THE FIST SHOULD 
   TAKE IT BACK.  BY VOTING FOR OUR SOVEREIGNTY WE ARE 
   SHOWING THE WORLD THAT WE ARE TRULY AND REALLY 
   INDEPENDENT.  LET'S BURY MR. TSVANGIRAI AND HIS 
   MOVEMENT FOR DESTRUCTIVE CRIMINALS BEFORE THEY 
   DESTROY US ALL." 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
>