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

201304Z Mar 02


                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO3558

PAGE 01        HARARE  00731  01 OF 02  201318Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   USNW-00  DODE-00  
      DS-00    VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   M-00     
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   SSO-00   SS-00    DSCC-00  DRL-02   
      NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /004W
                  ------------------77F3C2  201319Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1279
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000731 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO AND AF/S, DRL FOR A/S CRANER, S/WCI FOR 
AMBASSADOR PROSPER 
 
NSC FOR AFRICA SR DIR FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2012 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PGOV PHUM ZI MDC
SUBJECT: MDC WILL ONLY TALK TRANSITION 
 
REF: HARARE 721 
 
CLASSIFIED BY JOSEPH G. SULLIVAN FOR REASONS 1.5B/D 
 

¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  THE MDC SHARPLY DEFINED ITS WILLINGNESS 
TO ENGAGE IN FACILITATED DIALOGUE WITH ZANU-PF AS 
LIMITED TO A TRANSITIONAL FORMULA TOWARD NEW ELECTIONS 
AND REJECTED A UNITY GOVERNMENT.  THIS PUTS THEM ON A 
CONFLICTING COURSE WITH ZANU-PF WHICH SEEKS TO FORCE MDC 
AND THE NATION TO ACCEPT MUGABE'S LEGITIMACY AS 
PRESIDENT.  WE URGE DIRECT AND INDIRECT US EFFORTS TO 
HIGHLIGHT AND PRESS FOR AN END TO STATE-SPONSORED 
VIOLENT RETRIBUTION AGAINST OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) MDC MP DAVID COLTART ASKED TO SEE THE BRITISH 
HIGH COMMISSIONER AND THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR THE 
EVENING OF MARCH 19 TO BRIEF ON RESULTS OF THE MDC 
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD THAT DAY. 
COLTART SAID THAT THE COMMITTEE WAS UNITED IN OPPOSITION 
TO MDC PARTICIPATION IN A NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT. 
GRASSROOTS SENTIMENT WAS EXTREMELY STRONG BECAUSE PEOPLE 
IN THE COUNTRYSIDE WERE BEING BEATEN UP AND KILLED BY 
ZANU-PF, THE ARMED FORCES AND THE POLICE FOR HAVING 
SUPPORTED THE MDC.  THE REQUIREMENT TO PUBLISH THE NAMES 
AND ADDRESSES OF MDC POLLING AGENTS WAS NOW BEING USED 
AS A WAY TO PERSECUTE AND PUNISH MDC SUPPORTERS. 
COLTART SAID THAT SHOULD THE MDC LEADERSHIP SEEK TO 
PARTICIPATE IN A UNITY GOVERNMENT, THEIR FOLLOWERS WOULD 
REVOLT.  MDC ANALYSIS WAS THAT PRESIDENTS MUGABE WAS 
SEEKING TO BUY TIME BY ENTERING "RECONCILIATION TALKS" 
IN THE HOPE THAT PRESSURE ON HIM WOULD BE RELIEVED AND 
HE WOULD GET SOME FOOD, FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND FUEL 
ASSISTANCE IN RETURN.  MDC BELIEVED THAT PRESIDENT MBEKI 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00731  01 OF 02  201318Z 
HAD HIS OWN REASONS FOR BUYING TIME TO PUT OFF A CRISIS 
AND DIMINISH PRESSURE ON SOUTH AFRICA TO RESOLVE THE 
CRISIS. 
 
¶3. (C) COLTART SAID THAT MDC WOULD ENTER INTO 
NEGOTIATIONS BEING ENCOURAGED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN 
PRESIDENTS ONLY IF THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE BASED ON THE 
FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES: 
 
-- THEY WOULD BE HELD UNDER THE MEDIATION OF AN 
ACCEPTABLE NEUTRAL AFRICAN.  THE MDC LATER TOLD THE 
NIGERIAN HC THAT THEY COULD NOT ACCEPT CHIEF SHONEKAN'S 
DESIGNATION IN THAT ROLE BECAUSE OF HIS ACCEPTANCE OF 
THE ELECTION RESULT.  PRESIDENT OBASSANJO INSTEAD NAMED 
PROFESSOR ADEDEJE(SPELLING ?), WHO SERVED FOR TEN YEARS 
AS REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA 
IN ADDIS.) 
 
-- MBEKI AND OBASSANJO MUST COMMIT TO A FINITE, TIME- 
LIMITED NEGOTIATION. 
 
-- THE GOZ MUST RELEASE ALL MDC SUPPORTERS ARRESTED 
DURING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND SUSPEND PROSECUTION OF 
MDC LEADERS. 
 
-- THE OBJECTIVE OF NEGOTIATIONS IS NOT A UNITY 
GOVERNMENT, BUT A GOVERNMENT OF TRANSITION FOR NO MORE 
THAN SIX MONTHS LEADING TO NEW ELECTIONS HELD UNDER 
UNITED NATIONS OR COMMONWEALTH AUSPICES AND HELD UNDER 
THE NORMS AND STANDARDS FOR ELECTIONS SET FORTH BY THE 
SADC-PARLIAMENTARY FORUM. (COLTART, A LAWYER, SAID THAT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HARARE  00731  01 OF 02  201318Z 
NO CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION WAS NECESSARY SINCE PRESIDENT 
MUGABE HAD FREQUENTLY DEMONSTRATED THAT HE COULD DECREE 
ANYTHING HE WISHED WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE PARLIAMENT.) 
 
-- MINISTERS IN SUCH A TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE 
DIVIDED IN PROPORTION TO THE RESULTS OF THE 2000 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION(ALMOST EVENLY SPLIT) AND EACH 
SIDE'S MINISTERS SHALL BE CHOSEN BY THEIR OWN 
PARTY.(THIS TO BLOCK THE ONGOING ZANU-PF EFFORT TO PICK 
OFF JUNIOR MDC PARLIAMENTARIANS AND ENTICE THEM INTO 
ZANU-PF.) 
 
¶4. (C) COLTART SAID THAT THE MDC WOULD SUPPORT THE 
ZIMBABWE CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS(ZCTU) CALL FOR A 
THREE-DAY STAY-AWAY MARCH 20-22 BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT 
TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ON THE GOZ. HE SAID THAT 
NEGOTIATIONS AND MASS ACTION NEEDED TO BE MAINTAINED. 
BUT HE SAID THAT TSVANGIRAI HAD CAUTIONED HIS OWN 
RADICALS TO AVOID VIOLENCE, WHICH WOULD BE USED TO 
REPRESS THEM.  COLTART NOTED THAT THE NEW PUBLIC ORDER 
AND SECURITY ACT SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED "STAY-AWAYS" 
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFRONTATION WAS HIGH.  HE ALSO 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ8832 
 
PAGE 01        HARARE  00731  02 OF 02  201319Z 
ACTION AF-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   USNW-00  DODE-00 
      DS-00    VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   M-00 
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   SSO-00   SS-00    DSCC-00  DRL-02 
      NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /004W 
                  ------------------77F3D8  201319Z /38 
O 201304Z MAR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1280 
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HARARE 000731 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO AND AF/S, DRL FOR A/S CRANER, S/WCI FOR 
AMBASSADOR PROSPER 
 
NSC FOR AFRICA SR DIR FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2012 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PGOV PHUM ZI MDC
SUBJECT: MDC WILL ONLY TALK TRANSITION 
 
SAID THAT IF PARTICIPATION WAS HIGH, IT MIGHT CONTINUE 
BEYOND THE THREE DAYS. 
 
¶5. (C) COLTART ASKED FOR ASSURANCES THAT THE UK AND US 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HARARE  00731  02 OF 02  201319Z 
WERE NOT PUSHING A UNITY GOVERNMENT, BUT TRANSITION TO A 
NEW ELECTION, ASSURANCES WHICH WE PROVIDED.  HE ALSO 
EXPRESSED EXTREME DISTRUST THAT MUGABE WAS USING TIME- 
TESTED METHODS OF SEEKING TO CRUSH OR ABSORB THE MDC BY 
A COMBINATION OF PERSECUTION AND INCORPORATION OF TOKEN 
MDC ELEMENTS.  HE ASKED FOR PRESSURE THROUGH MBEKI AND 
OBASSANJO IN PARTICULAR FOR AN END TO THE POLICY OF 
RETRIBUTION AGAINST MDC SUPPORTERS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. 
HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE UK OR ANOTHER SIGNATORY 
COUNTRY SURFACE THE POSSIBLIITY OF INVOKING THE 
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE. (US IS NOT A 
SIGNATORY.) 
 
¶6. COMMENT: ZANU HAS BEEN USING HEAVY PUBLIC PRESSURE 
DIRECTLY AND THROUGH AFRICAN FRIENDS TO GET THE MDC TO 
BUY INTO A RECONCILIATION PROCESS WHICH LEGITIMATES 
MUGABE'S VICTORY AND RELIEVES PRESSURE ON THE GOZ FROM 
THE BAD ELECTION PROCESS.  FORMAL CHARGES AGAINST 
TSVANGIRAI ON MARCH 20, HARASSMENT AND RETRIBUTION 
 
SIPDIS 
AGAINST MDC SUPPORTERS AND HEAVY-HANDED RHETORIC ABOUT 
THE MDC'S NEED TO BE PATRIOTIC ARE ALL PART OF THAT 
PRESSURE.  THE ALWAYS HEAVY-HANDED INFORMATION 
MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO WAS AT IT AGAIN IN A MARCH 20 
"HERALD" ARTICLE, SAYING THAT TSVANGIRAI IS SOUNDING 
LIKE A CRIMINAL (IN CALLING FOR AN ELECTION RE-RUN) 
BENT ON SUBVERTING ZIMBABWE'S CONSTITUTION AND LAWS. 
(REF B) THUS, THE AGENDAS FOR ZANU-PF AND THE MDC ARE 
RADICALLY DIFFERENT WITH ZANU-PF OFFERING A FEW CRUMBS 
AT MOST AND MDC SEEKING A NEW ELECTION. THE NIGERIANS 
AND SOUTH AFRICANS PLAN TO BEGIN THE PROCESS ON 
THURSDAY, BUT WILL HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY RECONCILING 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00731  02 OF 02  201319Z 
THE TWO WILDLY DIFFERENT AGENDAS. END COMMENT. 
 
¶7. ACTION REQUESTS: 1.) WE RECOMMEND THAT WE DO 
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HIGHLIGHT AND BRING PRESSURE 
AGAINST THE GOZ'S CAMPAIGN OF POST-ELECTION REPRESSION, 
INCLUDING URGING THE NIGERIANS AND SOUTH AFRICANS TO 
BRING PRESSURE ON THE GOZ.  2.) WE ASK WHETHER THE 
DEPARTMENT CAN OPEN OR STIMULATE THE OPENING A PUBLIC 
INVESTIGATION OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MANY ACTS OF 
MURDERS, BEATINGS, TORTURE AND RAPE REPORTED IN THE 
INTERNATIONAL PRESS AND MANY ELECTION OBSERVER REPORTS 
DURING THE PRE- AND NOW POST-ELECTION PERIODS. 
 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>