VZCZCXRO4315
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0282/01 0961523
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051523Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2710
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 1890
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2013
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0583
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1290
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1647
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2069
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4500
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUAEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1140
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000282 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR S. HILL 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS 
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM ASEC CASC ZI
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT: ONE WEEK LATER: TSVANGIRAI CALLS 
FOR RESULTS, RECONCILIATION 
 
REF: HARARE 278 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY One week after election day, in the wake of 
a government crackdown on international journalists and NGO 
staff, opposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai 
held a press conference to reiterate his call for the 
Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) to announce the 
official results of the presidential race.  Confident that he 
had won, Tsvangirai focused his speech on the importance of 
national reconciliation and a peaceful transfer of power to 
the opposition.  Tsvangirai confirmed that the MDC's April 5 
attempt to petition the court to compel ZEC to release the 
results was blocked by security forces, and called on the 
international community to prevent violence and chaos.  One 
American, a New York Times reporter, remains in jail.  An 
Amcit NDI employee was released Friday night, but police are 
holding his passport and he has been told he will not be 
permitted to leave Zimbabwe before Monday. END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (SBU) On April 5, MDC presidential candidate Morgan 
Tsvangirai held a press conference to renew his call for ZEC 
 
SIPDIS 
to release the full official results of the presidential 
contest and for Robert Mugabe to respect the will of the 
Zimbabwean people.  Confident that he has won the race for 
the presidency, Tsvangirai stated that "on March 29, the 
Zimbabwean people spoke with one voice. They voted for food, 
they voted for jobs, they voted for social security and new 
hope. The result is known; the MDC has won this election." 
In a veiled reference to 2005's Operation Murambatsvina, in 
which some 750,000 Zimbabweans were displaced by the 
government, Tsvangirai stated that "if Mugabe thinks he can 
bulldoze his way into another presidency, history will be the 
judge." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Condemning any "reengineering" of the result by the 
Mugabe regime, Tsvangirai condemned the ZEC for the delay, 
which had entered its seventh day.  Tsvangirai confirmed that 
an attempt by the MDC's attorneys to file a petition at court 
requesting that ZEC be compelled to release the results was 
blocked by security forces, one of whom was wearing a ZANU-PF 
t-shirt at the time.  Nonetheless, Tsvangirai suggested that 
a hearing could take place as soon as April 6. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Tsvangirai also called on the Southern African 
Development Community, the African Union and the UN to 
prevent violence.  He said that African leaders must say "no" 
to Mugabe.  Warning that ZANU-PF was "preparing war on the 
Zimbabwean people, like in 2000 and 2001," Tsvangirai stated 
that for Mugabe "violence is the new weapon to reverse the 
people's will."  Tsvangirai suggested that ZANU-PF's return 
to campaign activities, including an announcement by Mugabe's 
spokesman that ZANU-PF would contest in a runoff, the 
increased presence of security forces, and rumors of the 
creation of "no-go areas" for the MDC, indicated that the 
ruling party had "insider information" from ZEC about the 
outcome of the election.  Tsvangirai again stated that a 
runoff would be "unreasonable" according to the MDC's 
internal tally and that he would not accept the "reversal" of 
the people's will.  Tsvangirai said the MDC would challenge a 
ZEC announcement that he had not won a majority of votes.  He 
hinted the MDC would not participate in a runoff if the 
environment was too hostile. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Despite some harsh rhetoric, Tsvangirai also devoted 
much of his speech to calling for national reconciliation. 
In an attempt to calm fears of a violent handover of power, 
Tsvangirai addressed civil servants; including the security 
 
SIPDIS 
forces, war veterans and landowners.  He said that none of 
them would face persecution, or lose jobs or property under 
an inclusive MDC presidency.  Noting other African nations 
 
HARARE 00000282  002 OF 002 
 
 
which have made nonviolent political transitions, Tsvangirai 
also made a direct appeal to Mugabe to enter into a dialogue 
in order to "begin the peaceful transfer of government." 
 
¶6. (SBU) Charges against the imprisoned New York Times 
reporter were adjusted today: he is now accused of practicing 
journalism without accreditation during an election.  His 
attorney is confident that these charges can be successfully 
defended, but his release does not appear imminent.  The NDI 
employee who was released Friday night spent seven hours 
Saturday at Harare Central police station, hoping to recover 
his passport and be cleared to depart the country.  Instead, 
he was told he will have to check in at the station Sunday 
morning at 9, and further consideration will be given to his 
case on Monday.  There are no charges lodged against him.  An 
accredited Canadian journalist was reportedly detained today 
after she checked in to depart the country; we believe she 
was later releaed without charge. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Aware that the eye of the international 
media is on Zimbabwe in the wake of elections, the MDC 
appears to be strategically employing public relations 
tactics to ensure attention continues.  By simultaneously 
casting his presidency as an opportunity for reconciliation 
and reaching out to those actors that have historically 
supported Mugabe, Tsvangirai is seeking to secure either a 
peaceful transfer of power or, if necessary, a runoff 
victory. END COMMENT. 
MCGEE