VZCZCXRO2232
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0955/01 2970950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230950Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3597
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2369
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2489
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0995
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1765
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2120
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2541
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4973
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1638
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000955 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR B. WALCH 
DRL FOR N. WILETT 
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: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ZI
SUBJECT: TSVANGIRAI UPDATES OECD HEADS OF MISSION ON 
DEADLOCK 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) MDC leader and prime minister-designate Morgan 
Tsvangirai updated heads of OECD missions on October 22 and 
stated that no progress had been made towards concluding 
negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC on a power-sharing 
government.  While disappointed that Mugabe was not 
negotiating in good faith, he indicated he will attend the 
rescheduled SADC Troika meeting in Harare on October 27. 
According to Tsvangirai, newly-appointed South African 
president Motlanthe will be present as well.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Neither Progress, Nor Good Faith Efforts 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Ambassador attended a gathering of OECD heads 
of mission on October 22 at which MDC leader and prime 
minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai delivered an update on 
the status of the deadlocked negotiations between the two MDC 
formations and ZANU-PF.  Tsvangirai was quick to declare that 
no progress had been made and described the negotiations as 
being "like trench warfare: one step at a time."  According 
to Tsvangirai, President Mugabe and his negotiators were 
still insisting on all key ministries, which had forced him 
to request that the Southern African Development Community 
(SADC) and the African Union re-engage as the guarantors of 
the agreement. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Tsvangirai also discussed his decision not to 
attend the October 20 meeting of the SADC Troika--composed of 
Swaziland, Angola, and Mozambique--in Mbabane.  He explained 
that while he was granted an emergency travel document, he 
wanted to draw attention to the continued denial of his 
passport application.  Tsvangirai asserted that Mugabe had 
directed the Registrar General to refuse his application, and 
that it was "not an issue of a passport, but a test of the 
sincerity of Mugabe's and ZANU-PF's willingness to cooperate 
in good faith."  (NOTE: The daily newspaper and government 
mouthpiece, the Herald, has portrayed Tsvangirai's decision 
as evidence that he is not serious about addressing the 
crisis facing Zimbabwe.  The Registrar General and Mugabe's 
spokesman George Charamba blamed western sanctions resulting 
in a lack of passport paper for failing (since August) to 
provide Tsvangirai with a passport.  Passports have been 
regularly issued to other Zimbabweans over this period.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Tsvangirai and Motlanthe to Attend Next Session 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The SADC Troika discussion of Zimbabwe has now been 
rescheduled for October 27 in Harare.  Tsvangirai intimated 
he will attend, but said he will first confer with advisors 
and discuss his participation with the MDC national executive 
on October 24.  Tsvangirai mentioned that newly-appointed 
South African president Kgalema Motlanthe will attend the 
Troika session on October 27, despite not being an official 
Troika member.  Tsvangirai was straightforward in stating 
that he believed that Mbeki was rapidly becoming irrelevant 
to the process. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Other Sticking Points, Mugabe, and Demarches 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
HARARE 00000955  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Tsvangirai also stated that the negotiations were 
not solely concerned with the division of ministries. 
Additionally, the appointment of governors and ambassadors 
was being discussed, as well as policy issues including how 
best to reverse the economy's slide and hyperinflation. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) When asked if he was still convinced Mugabe would 
implement a deal, Tsvangirai answered that the president was 
desperate and had no other option.  He added that he had 
received MDC intelligence reports that if the deal failed, 
there was a chance of the military stepping in.  He did not 
elaborate further on that scenario. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Although Tsvangirai did not directly ask for our 
intervention, he hinted that a series of coordinated 
demarches from OECD nations to SADC capitals would be 
welcomed. 
 
MCGEE